Rahul Gandhi is not after PM post but nation's interests, says Jagga Reddy
The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee working president responded to comments made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the Leader of Opposition.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) working president T. Jagga Reddy said on Wednesday that Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is not seeking the Prime Minister post but is focused on the nation's interests.
Speaking at a press conference in Hyderabad, Jagga Reddy was reacting to comments by Union Home Minister Amit Shah that Gandhi could never become the Prime Minister, according to The Hindu.
Jagga Reddy stated that the Prime Minister's position has always been within reach of the Nehru-Gandhi family and claimed Gandhi could have become Prime Minister in 2004 or 2009 if he had wanted to.
He added that Gandhi is not after the position like others in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He also said the Telangana Congress is ready to take Shah's comments as a challenge to win all 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the next elections.
Referring to the BJP's use of Lord Ram in campaigns, Jagga Reddy said Mahatma Gandhi sang Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram during the freedom movement before the BJP or leaders Narendra Modi and Amit Shah were born.
The TPCC leader said the BJP claims exclusive ownership of Lord Ram's name, but the Congress and Mahatma Gandhi invoked Ram long before the BJP existed. He claimed the Prime Minister has secured three terms by invoking Lord Ram's name but is not following his ideals.