Rahul writes to PM, says he has highest respect for him

Hours after his strong public criticism of the controversial ordinance, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Friday wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying he has the "highest respect" for him and hoped he would understand the strength of his "conviction" on the issue.

The letter is seen as a move to dispel the notion that his criticism was a public snub to the prime minister and a challenge to the collective decision of the cabinet and Congress core group.

In his letter to Manmohan Singh, who is in the US, Gandhi said, "I realise that what I feel about the Ordinance is not in harmony with the cabinet decision and the core group's view.

"I also know it would be exploited by our political opponents. 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."

Earlier, at an impromptu press conference at the Press Club of India, Rahul Gandhi tore into the ordinance terming it as "complete nonsense" and it should, in his opinion, be "torn up and thrown away".

His mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi is understood to have called up Manmohan Singh and spoken to him after her son's comments.

--Indo-Asian News service

rn-aag/kbd/sd