Rahul Gandhi sidesteps query on becoming PM, says there are other jobs too

Rahul Gandhi, who many believe is being groomed for the country's top political job, today said becoming prime minister is not the only 'job' in the world.

The 40-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family responded in this fashion sidestepping a pointed query on him becoming the prime minister during an interaction with students at the Visva Bharati University in West Bengal.

"If I will be the prime minister of India," he said, and added after a pause, "like that is the only job a person can do! There are many other jobs that a person can do."

The AICC general secretary on his maiden visit to Shantiniketan in Bolpur was asked what he would do for the job prospects of fine arts students studying classical dance in the event of his becoming prime minister and chancellor of Visva Bharati University.

Three generations of Gandhi's family had been chancellors of Visva Bharati University founded by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore at Santiniketan, 200 km from Kolkata. Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi held this position in their capacity as the country's prime minister.

Stress should be given on fine arts studies, said Gandhi, as he arrived here to a boisterous welcome on the first day of his three-day visit to West Bengal.

Gandhi, who spent nearly one-and-half hours with the students, told them, "you can write to me or to the PMO with your suggestion how to strengthen fine arts studies." 

When another student asked him about corruption at the university, Gandhi replied, "corruption is a problem everywhere. You have to find a solution to it."

To another question, Gandhi said he could give students a lot of work if they wished it. "If you tell me you want to work I will tell you when to do it and how to do it. Only writing letters to leaders will not do," he said.

A student from Bangladesh told Gandhi that many students from his country were eager to study at Visva Bharati but faced problems in getting a visa. 

Gandhi, who reached the University in car after he flew in by a helicopter met around 1,000 students at the Rabindra Bhavan and discussed several issues with them for over an hour.