Congress President Rahul Gandhi virtually brought the house down on Friday when he said: “I love Narendra Modi.”
In a free-wheeling live interaction with over 5,000 collegestudents at the Lakshmi Lawns in Hadapsar suburb here, Gandhi took wide-rangingquestions from the gathering, largely pertaining to jobs, education, healthcareand some even personal.
Answering a poser from a student, he paused and said:”I love (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi. I really do, seriously. I have noanger against him. I love him. But he has anger towards me.”
The comment was greeted with thunderous cheers and applausefrom the students, stunned even the hosts and the media, coming as it at theheight of the Lok Sabha election season when both the ruling and oppositionsides are firing poisonous darts at each other.
To another question on his favourite childhood memories,Gandhi thought for a moment and said: “It was with my grandmother (latePrime Minister Indira Gandhi). Before she would come home from work, I wouldhide behind the curtains, and when she arrived, I would jump out and scare her.I know (now) that she was not scared, but she always pretended to bescared.”
Responding to a query about his relations with sisterPriyanka Gandhi, he said: “We are very close, she is my best friend sincechildhood.
“From early childhood, we have witnessed lot ofviolence. First my grandmother was killed, then my father (Rajiv Gandhi) waskilled. All though, she supported me,” Gandhi said amid pin drop silence.
Now, even after she has joined politics, the old siblingbonds remain strong, and Rahul Gandhi said he never removes the Rakhi she tieson him every year and it probably lasts till the next year.
“In the past there were fights, but not any more. Wemay quarrel, argue, but before it gets into a fight, one of us steps back andends it.”
On a question about how the modern day youth seem addictedto the social media and living in virtual reality, the Congress President said:”If people choose to live in virtual reality, let them do it.
“However, some day they will have to face the actualreality of life. Social Media (Twitter) will not take care of your parents. Youwill have to face the harsh realities then.”
To a student’s question on who deserves credit for therecent Indian Air Force strikes, Gandhi responded firmly: “The IAFdeserves all credit for it…”
He added that he has never claimed credit for such things inany of his speeches, but was totally against “politicising the IAF airstrikes”, as was being done by Modi.
Organised by Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam, the interaction– lasting around 75 minutes – was conducted in an informal manner with the twohosts – famed Mumbai-based RJ Malishka Mendonsa and Pune-based acclaimedMarathi film actor Subodh Bhave.
Responding to Bhave’s plans to make a biopic on him, to bedirected and filmed by him, for which he was on the lookout for a hero to playthe title role, Gandhi playfully preempted him: “I am wedded to mywork.” The crowds cheered their approval.