Don’t ask on cabinet reshuffle but we need young people: PM

NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday said the people will come to know as and when he decides to reshuffle his cabinet, adding that a resurgent and growing India required younger people in power.

“I think, I am not able to tell you what I am going to do in way of cabinet reshuffle. When that happens all of you will get to know,” the prime minister said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here.

“But I do share the thought that we must reduce the average age of people in power. We must bring in more young people.”

The question to the prime minister came against the backdrop of two ministers, A. Raja and Prithviraj Chavan, recently leaving the ministerial council for different reasons. Earlier Shashi Tharoor had resigned as minister of state for external affairs due to a controversy over the Kochi franchisee of the Indian Premier League.

This apart, the prime minister has, more than once, praised Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi as a capable leader to lead the country.

“I have said Rahul Gandhi has all the qualities a good PM should have. I certainly at some stage would like the seat of power should be in the hands of younger people than I am,” Manmohan Singh had said in one such comment.