An impatient, young India wants change, says Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi, the newly appointed Congress Vice President called for a deep and effective change in the system of governance and administration. "An impatient, young India wants change," said Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi on his maiden speech after taking over the new assignment, won a standing ovation when he narrated how his mother had come to him last night and cried. "She cried because she understands the power so many seek is a poison. She can see it because she is not attached to it. We should not chase power for the attributes of power, we should only use it to empower the voiceless," Mr Gandhi said, to much applause.

 The young Congress leader tore into a system that that he said was dominated by mediocrity, "excludes knowledge" and centralises "power grossly. "A system where a handful of people in power made decisions that affected the aam aadmi, was a flawed system, argued Rahul Gandhi. The answer, he said, was not in the running the system better, but in "a complete transformation of the system" to give the common man a role in the political space. "We don't empower people at the bottom. People feel they are outside of the system...why people are angry...because they are alienated from the system. Their voices are trampled upon," Rahul Gandhi said. And he explained how his party, the Congress, had already put in place building blocks to enable that change.

Rahul Gandhi began his speech in English, switched to Hindi, and then spoke in English again. He was in turn oratorical and conversational. He took a dig at the people who are corrupt but stand up and talk of eradicating corruption" or "people who disrespect women but talk of women's rights". He also promised that his party will "support every Indian."