‘Some people don’t want India to be ahead of China’

In his spirited speech, Chidambaram said, “the NDA says if it comes to power, it will renegotiate the nuclear deal. The Left says it will do everything to scuttle the agreement for ever. Yet they are voting together. I don’t think in the history of Parliament there is anything more bizarre than two disparate groups voting together.”

After the Left was spared by the government from any virulent attack on the opening day, Chidambaram in a veiled reference to the Left parties said ‘some people’ do not want India to catch up with China.

“There are some people in the country who do not want India to catch up with China. They do not want India to be ahead of China,” said Chidambaram without naming anyone.

Strongly batting for Manmohan Singh, 38-year-old Rahul Gandhi said the Prime Minister had displayed courage and stood by his conviction in pursuing the deal which was in national interest and bolstering the country’s energy security.

Heard with rapt attention by his mother Sonia Gandhi and repeatedly applauded by the Prime Minister and other UPA leaders, the young Congress MP from Amethi linked energy security to poverty eradication and maintaining growth.