The Hindu : National : Rahul makes maiden speech

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Tuesday, Mar 22, 2005

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National

Rahul makes maiden speech

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 21. Ten months after the 14th Lok Sabha was constituted, Rahul Gandhi, — the most-talked about "son" of the "son brigade" that has made it to the House in considerable strength this time round — made his debut today as a Parliamentarian by raising an issue pertaining to payment of arrears to sugarcane farmers of Uttar Pradesh.

Though there has been a lot of speculation on when Mr. Gandhi would speak in the House for the first time, few — even in the Congress benches — appeared to be in the know of things as he caught most of the members and those viewing the proceedings from the galleries above by surprise.

But, apparently in anticipation of her son making his debut, the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, sat on the last bench awaiting the moment.

Among the first couple of persons to be called by the Speaker to raise the issue he had given notice for during Zero Hour, Mr. Gandhi said his bit without much ado and got undivided attention from members across the floor.

Referring time and again to a piece of paper, he urged the Government to ensure that the U.P. Government paid the arrears to sugarcane farmers as directed by the Supreme Court in May 2004.

With the Speaker complementing the young member for his maiden question, the House applauded Mr. Gandhi as some Congress members including Ministers rushed over to personally congratulate him.

And, in a rare show of family bonding — seldom shown by the mother-son duo in the House — Ms. Gandhi accompanied her son out of the Lok Sabha sometime later; patting him as they walked out.

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