Lucknow, Dec 8 - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is the most capable person to hold the post in the country, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said Tuesday.

"We have the most capable person as the prime minister of the country. Not only the Congress party acknowledges that, the opposition and the rest of the world also accept the fact," he told reporters here during his two-day visit to Uttar Pradesh.

When asked why he did not take up the post, the MP from Amethi said: "The reason that I did not become the prime minister of the country is that there are a host of other senior political leaders in the party who are more capable than me."

"My agenda is to bring young people into politics, into youth organisations such as NSUI and Youth Congress and not focus on who should become the prime minister of the country," he said.

Expressing concern over rising prices of essential commodities in the country, Gandhi said: "I have had discussions with the prime minister and he categorically assured me that steps are being planned and effected to control the menace."

"At the moment, the price of pulses seems to be rising. There is also the problem of hoarding at the state level which again significantly contributes towards price rise," he added. (IANS)