Don't see my statements in a negative light: Khurshid

New Delhi, Jul 10: Law Minister Salman Khurshid today accused the media of misinterpreting his comments on

general secretary

and stressed that the statements "should not be seen in a negative light."

Khurshid had earlier told The Indian Express that the ruling party was yet to get any ideological direction from Rahul Gandhi. "Until now, we have only seen cameos of his thought and ideas like democratising elections to the Youth Congress. But he has not weaved all of this into a grand announcement. This is a period of waiting," Khurshid said in the interview.

He seemed to blame Rahul for not leading from the front. "The fact is that he is undoubtedly and unquestionably the number two leader in the party. Yet he has not taken up the mantle or accepted a functional responsibility. He is so far not willing to accept the number two position," Khurshid rued.

He also admitted that "In UPA II, governance and politics have all got intermingled. The political props have got mixed up. It is a scattered situation."

Predictably BJP made the most of Khurshid's observation that "It's not only economic reforms that have slowed down. Even political and administrative reforms have not happened because of this situation."

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "It is not at all surprising that Congress leaders are echoing the same sentiment. As far as the Congress led government is concerned, it lacks policies, leadership and accountability. The Prime Minister started off as a reformist but he has turned out to be a non-performer."

The Samajwadi Party reacted in a similar vein. Shahid Siddiqui quipped that Khurshid voiced "a truth which Congressmen have been whispering to each other for quite some time...the government is directionless and the country, its economy is suffering, and somebody has to inform the bosses of the truth."

OneIndia News