New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Saturday said his statement about Congress MP Rahul Gandhi being a prime ministerial candidate was a general remark, though the party general secretary had the potential to occupy the office. The senior Congress leader, who had Thursday said Rahul Gandhi was set to walk in the footsteps of his father, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, clarified that it was a general comment.

“Look, it was in the context of a question that why the Indian political system does not transfer leadership to the younger generation,” Mukherjee told CNN-IBN in an interview.

He added: “So I gave a series of examples… therefore the AICC (All India Congress Committee) general secretary… who knows, he may follow in the footsteps of his father.”

Mukherjee had, at the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas diaspora event in Chennai Thursday, said that Rahul Gandhi was a prime ministerial candidate.

“Days are not far off for Rahul Gandhi to become Indian prime minister,” Mukherjee had said, adding that “Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister when he was 40 and his son Rahul Gandhi will follow his footsteps.”

Mukherjee said Saturday: “Rajiv Gandhi became prime minister at the age of early 40s… I cannot say who will be the potential, who will not be the potential. Potential is in a number of people.”