Rahul Gandhi must join the government: Krishna

Amid expectations of a Cabinet reshuffle, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Wednesday strongly pitched for Rahul Gandhi's entry into the government, saying it was "necessary" to help in solving the problems faced by the country.

Krishna noted that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had already asked Rahul Gandhi to join the government and his "invitation" stands.

"We have always wanted Rahul's involvement in the government. The prime minister's invitation is there to join the government but he himself seems to be not inclined at the moment," the minister said at an interaction with media persons in New Delhi.

He was asked whether he thought Rahul, 42, should be made a minister after Pranab Mukherjee resigned to contest the presidential poll.

"I am one of those who feel that it is necessary for Rahul Gandhi to come into the government and help the government in solving the problems that we face as a country," Krishna said.

Mukherjee, the government's trouble-shooter, quit as finance minister on Tuesday, ahead of filing of his nomination papers on Thursday for the July 19 Presidential poll.

Virbhadra Singh too resigned on Tuesday as Micro, Small and Medium Industries minister in the wake of framing of corruption charges against him by a Himachal Pradesh court.

This has led to expectations of a reshuffle of the Cabinet.

For the time being, the prime minister has kept the finance portfolio with himself and given additional charge of MSM portfolio to Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.