Rahul rising star on political horizon: Jaiswal

New Delhi, May 12: Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal today welcomed Congress President Sonia Gandhi's statement about Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi being given a greater role in the party organisation and said that the latter was capable of accepting any position in the country.

''Rahul Gandhi is the rising star on the political horizon of the country. He is a ray of hope for the future in the current political scenario in the country. We had always felt so and now even the Congress President has realised its importance. She would take appropriate decision regarding this in the interest of the country as well as the Congress party,'' Mr Jaiswal told reporters here.

He said Rahul was capable of holding any post in the country and it would be appropriate to appoint him to an important position in the party organisation.

Asked whether Rahul was fit to become the Prime Minister, Mr Jaiswal reiterated that he was fully capable and could hold any position.

Lauding the role played by Rahul in ensuring record victory of Ms Gandhi in Rae Bareli, Mr Jaiswal said that he could play such role in all constituencies of the Lok Sabha. ''He could nourish all the constituencies of the country,'' he said.

Mr Jaiswal said that by ensuring record victory of Ms Sonia Gandhi, the people of Rae Bareli have given the indication that she is the undisputed leader of the country. All those ''Shekhchilli'' leaders who leveled charges against her should stop doing that.

However, it was to be seen how much of this message they incorporate into their behaviour, he added.

About whether he favoured Mr Ajit Jogi's proposal for Ms Gandhi to be made the Prime Minister, he said that he had not signed the proposal, quipping ''Nobody will bring such a proposal to me.'' Asked why the Congress was supporting the Mulayam Singh government in Uttar Pradesh while constantly criticising it, Mr Jaiswal said that his party had given issue based support to the state government. ''It is based on the simple principle that the Congress would never support communal forces,'' he noted.

He said that had the Congress compromised on the issue of secularism, the West Bengal assembly polls results would have been different. Same would have happened in Bihar, Mr Jaiswal added.

UNI

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