Rahul referred to his July speech this Wednesday, saying there was “internal consensus” in all political parties, including the BJP and the Left, on the issue of the Indo-US nuclear deal, but the leadership of the “big parties” refused to “open the curtains to let the people know there was consensus”.

“People laughed when I said I was talking as an Indian. What I was saying was what I had learnt from young MPs and also from the Left (about internal agreement on nuclear deal),” said Rahul.

Building up a case for the importance of nuclear energy, Rahul had cited the examples of two women — Shashikala and Kalawati — in the Lok Sabha: “Three days ago, I went to Vidarbha and there, I met a young lady who has three sons. Shashikala, a landless labourer, lives on Rs 60 a day.”

Obama’s popular message of “hope, change and courage” also appears to have had an impact on Rahul.

Nevertheless, Rahul on Wednesday sought to make light of these similarities. “Hope and change are good words to use. But I think we have millions of Barack Obamas in India. It is the question of channelising (their energy), giving them voice and power. The reason I am opening them up (Youth Congress and the NSUI) is that I fully intend to give power to them.”