New Delhi, July 22 (ANI): All India Congress Committee General Secretary Rahul Gandhi said here today that energy security is very important if the country wants to eradicate poverty and the much publicised Indo-US civil nuclear deal is aimed at addressing to this problem.
In order to silence agitating opposition members in the Lok Shabha, Gandhi said, "I'm sure all members present in this room want poverty to be eradicated from the country. Energy security is a must to achieve that goal."
He even referred to a few poor households to make his point.
Gandhi began his address to the House by repeatedly pointing out, "I will speak here as an Indian first and not as a Congressman."
He even urged them to "please listen to him patiently" adding "it's not that all of you agree to what I say but please listen to me before you try and shut me down".
While Gandhi was speaking, some Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) members stood up to protest against his remarks.
Even after repeated requests by Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, the members refused to comply.
`I took five hours to write my speech,' says Rahul Gandhi
By Pankaj Yadav
New Delhi, July 22 (ANI): Nehru-Gandhi scion and the Congress Member of Parliament from Amethi, Rahul Gandhi, told this correspondent, that he took five hours to write his speech on Monday that he delivered in the Lower House on Tuesday.
He said that he wrote the speech at his Tuglaq Road residence in the capital while watching the proceedings of the House on the first day of the ongoing trust motion debate.
He revealed this bit of information exclusively to this correspondent after concluding his repeatedly interrupted speech on why India needed to enter the civilian nuclear cooperation deal with the United States - to have energy security.
When he was asked why he had repeatedly mentioned the name of "Kalawati" during his speech, in an obvious reference to his interaction with two women in Vidarbha, he said: 'Kabhi Kabhi Galti Hota Hai' (Sometimes I do make mistakes).
He was walking on the first floor of the Parliament building along with his security detail, in search of his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her husband Robert Vadra, both of whom were sitting in the Speaker's Gallery.
Realising that he did not know the way to the Speaker's Gallery, Rahul approached this correspondent to show him the way. While guiding Gandhi towards the Speaker's Gallery, the Watch and Ward staff appeared on the scene and informed him that Priyanka and Robert had already left and maybe on the stairs. He replied: "Okay, I'll catch them on the stairs". However, it was too late, and Rahul had to speak to his sister on the mobile. (ANI)
