Thaindian News

Shillong, Sep 21 (IANS) On a day when L.K. Advani indicated he won’t vie for the country’s top post, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi threw his weight behind Manmohan Singh for the prime minister’s job.

“We already have a prime minister, and he is doing very well,” Gandhi said in response to a question on the issue from journalists. He spoke after addressing Congress activists at Ampati in western Meghalaya.

Gandhi refused to make any further questions before leaving for the helipad to fly back to Guwahati.

Earlier, addressing Youth Congress members, Gandhi urged youths to join politics to kill corruption.

“The participation of the youth in politics will help eradicate corruption and build the nation in constructive way,” he said.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma was present on the occasion.

Urging youths to participate in central level politics, he said: “If you have a voice at the centre, it will speed up development in your state.

“Technology will move our country in the 21st century. For this, we need new ideas, new thinking,” he said.

In his 10-minute speech, Gandhi stressed the need to have a strong political system to fight corruption. “A political system which is open to the voice of the people can eradicate corruption.”

Allaying fears of alienation of India’s northeastern states, Gandhi said that all the regions were equally important for the country and his family had “a soft corner for Meghalaya and the rest of the northeast”.

“We depend on modern gadgets to fix our problems. But the unique ideas of the traditional institutions can also help us in a big way and both should go hand in hand,” he added.

He lauded the matrilineal society in Meghalaya. “Meghalaya is a small state but a lot of ideas emerge from here which can bring in social change.”

Gandhi, who earlier visited the quake affected areas of Sikkim, apologized to the Congress activists for arriving late for the meeting.