Cong hails PM for convincing US on terror issue

A day after Rahul Gandhi caused political tremors with his denunciation of the ordinance on lawmakers and attack on government, Congress on Saturday got into damage control mode hailing prime minister Manmohan Singh for convincing the US on the issue of terror. “Compliment prime minister for convincing US and others that LeT is a global terror threat. I hope Pakistan will take a note of that and act decisively,” Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh commented on micro blogging site twitter.

His comments came after US President Barack Obama promised to take up with Nawaz Sharif in a “frank” manner the issue of continued Pakistan-based terror directed against India after talks with Singh.

The Congress general secretary also welcomed Rahul’s attack on the ordinance, saying it has “punctured BJP’s double speak”.

“Rahul punctured the balloon of BJP’s double speak. It (BJP) had agreed to the amendment in an all-party meeting,” the Congress leader tweeted.

After a public outburst critical of the government, Rahul had last night reached out to the prime minister, saying that he has the “greatest admiration” for his leadership in extremely difficult circumstances.

Gandhi, who had publicly called the ordinance to protect convicted MPs and MLAs from immediate disqualification as complete nonsense causing tremors in the government, said he realised that what he felt about the ordinance was not in harmony with the Cabinet’s decision and the core group’s view.

“You know that I have the highest respect for you and I look up to you for your wisdom. I have nothing but the greatest admiration for the manner in which you are providing leadership in extremely difficult circumstances. I hope you will understand the strength of my own conviction about this very controversial issue,” Gandhi had said in his letter.

PMO sources had said the letter was written by Gandhi after his public criticism of the government on the ordinance issue here in the afternoon.

Congress had made the letter public hours after Gandhi made the comments attacking the government’s position and the prime minister had disclosed that he had received a communication from the party vice president.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi also spoke over telephone to Singh, who is away in the US on a visit.