Priyanka, hubby attend trust vote to support Rahul

New Delhi, Jul 22: It was a Nehru-Gandhi-Vadra family affair in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, July 22.

Priyanka Gandhi and her husband Robert Vadra trooped into the Speaker's Gallery this morning to hear brother and brother-in-law Rahul Gandhi give his views on why the nation needed to go ahead with the India-US civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, and why the trust vote should go in favour of the UPA Government. Dressed in a white top and black pants, Priyanka exchanged greetings with mediapersons sitting in the adjacent Press Gallery. Her husband, Robert, who was attired formally in a tweed coat and tie, occupied the seat adjacent to her, and spent his time watching the proceedings taking place on the floor of the House below. He chose not to engage in any pleasantries.

The couple were later seen exchanging views with each other, apparently discussing the latest developments and moves of the Congress-led UPA Government in bringing the trust vote before Parliament.

Rahul Gandhi, sitting on the back benches on the treasury side, exchanged glances and smiles with his sister and his brother-in-law, even as his speech to the members of the House was repeatedly interrupted.

Priyanka was seen blushing and putting her left hand across her mouth to supress her smile when Rahul referred to two women he had interacted with in Vidarbha recently as "Young ladies".

He said that when he had met Shashikala, one of these two ladies, he had asked her how many children she had. He said that she had then told him that she had three sons. When she was asked what she expected her children to be, she said she wanted them to be an engineer, a doctor and and an officer.

When he came out of their house late in the evening, he asked the boys how they did their studies. They said under a street light, or with the use of candles, as often there was no power.

He said he was highlighting this incident to indicate the energy and power crisis that was prevailing in the country, and how a civilian nuclear deal with the United States, if signed and operationalised, could go a long way in ending this shortage. By Pankaj Yadav

ANI