Rahul has 'all attributes' of genuine leader: Congress

Party spokesperson Shakeel Ahmad seeks to end row sparked by Digvijay Singh's comments that Rahul lacked 'ruling temperament'

Rahul Gandhi has all the "attributes" of a genuine leader and there is no confusion in the party over his leadership qualities, Congress said today, seeking to put an end to the controversy sparked by General Secretary Digvijay Singh's comments that he lacked "ruling temperament".

"Singh has clarified his remarks. All he meant was that Rahul Gandhi was not hankering after power. We do not think it is a disqualification. In fact we respect those who sacrifice. He has all the attributes of a genuine leader. He is our second biggest leader," party spokesperson Shakeel Ahmad said.

Asked about senior party leader A K Antony's remarks that Congress party's secularism was slanted in favour of minorities and people's faith in it had eroded somewhat due it, Ahmad said it was made in the context of Kerala where he was speaking and had no national dimension.

Party's spokesperson Shakeel Ahmad said Kerala unit of the party has already clarified that Antony's statement was Kerala-specific.

Latching on to Antony's remarks, BJP patriarch L K Advani had said yesterday that his party stands vindicated regarding its position on the issue.

Addressing first-time BJP MPs on the concluding day of an orientation workshop here, Advani had said, "We should welcome this honest soul-searching by A K Antony for he is now saying what we in BJP have been saying all along.

"We have always said that secularism should mean justice for all, appeasement of none and discrimination against none," he had said.