Stating that it was necessary to project young leaders in India to ensure the nation's progress, the National Conference leader said Rahul Gandhi should be given more time.

Under opposition attack, the government on Friday defended its order on monitoring and intercepting any computer by central investigative and security agencies, saying it was a mere repetition of an order of authorisation issued under rules framed during the UPA regime in 2009.

Taking a jibe at Congress president, Jaitley said luxury and sin items can’t be taxed at the same rate as the common man’s item.

Sarma, a former Congress leader and now a BJP spearhead in the North East region, mocked Gandhi over his recent claims, saying he will also seek credit for the sunlight that follows rains.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday dubbed the Lok Sabha polls as a battle between an "honest,  hardworking and committed" leader in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the head of a "corrupt" political party in Rahul Gandhi. 

Congress president’s remarks came two days after PM Modi at an event in Mumbai said that the government was aiming to bring 99 per cent of items at or below 18 per cent GST slab.

The Trinamool Congress chief said that the issue of prime ministerial candidate could be discussed after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which are due in April-May.

The Congress snatched power from the BJP in all the three states – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh – in the just-concluded Assembly elections.

The saffron party believes that only one idea should run the country, Gandhi said at a public rally organised by his party's southern ally the DMK in Chennai.

The Congress president has moved quickly to take credit for any potential farm loan waiver the government may plan ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"We promised to waive loans in 10 days. In two states, we did it within six hours and we would do it in the third state very soon," Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament.

It is pertinent to mention here that within hours of coming to power in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, Congress governments waived off farm loans.

Terming it as “new low in country’s public discourse”, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that nothing better can be expected from the Congress president.

"We will not let PM Modi sleep till he waives off loans of farmers, all opposition parties will unitedly demand this. Till now PM has not waived off a single rupee of farmers," Rahul Gandhi said told reporters outside Parliament.

Only “those who are afraid of the 'chowkidar' make repeated noise about thieves. But, the people know the truth,” Rupani said. 

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in 2015, the BJP chief started re-investigation into several cases of 1984 pending for over three decades.

The Congress had last week asked if Trinamool leaders were having "sleepless nights" fearing that their dream of Banerjee becoming the prime minister might not fulfilled.

The Congress on Monday gave notices of breach of privilege in both Houses of Parliament, demanding an explanation from the government on why it provided the Supreme Court "wrong" information on the Rafale deal.

Gandhi, after being elected unopposed as the Congress chief, took over his new assignment on December 16 last year from her mother, Sonia Gandhi, at the party headquarters on Akbar Road here.  

Party sources said the Congress was also toying with the idea of having a CM and a deputy CM, and also mulling division of the CM term to accommodate more leaders.