Former President Pranab Mukherjee had as soon as mentioned that if Rahul Gandhi’s office can’t differentiate between AM and PM, how do they hope to run PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) in the future, revealed her daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee in her upcoming e book “Pranab My Father”.
Recalling situations from his late father’s political life, the previous Congress spokesperson Sharmistha has talked about whether or not Pranab Mukherjee’s had need to develop into the Prime Minister, about Sonia Gandhi, Rahul, why Congress beneath Sonia would not have selected him for the highest submit in 2004, amongst others.Â
Sharmistha in her e book talked about one occasion when Pranab Mukherjee was scheduled to satisfy Rahul Gandhi who confirmed up at a incorrect time.Â
“One morning, during Pranab’s usual morning walk in the Mughal Gardens (now Amrit Udyan), Rahul came to see him. Pranab disliked any interruptions during his morning walks and puja. Nevertheless, he decided to meet him. It turned out that Rahul was actually scheduled to meet Pranab later in the evening, but his (Rahul’s) office mistakenly informed him that the meeting was in the morning. I came to know about the incident from one of the ADCs. When I asked my father, he commented sardonically, ‘If Rahul’s office can’t differentiate between ‘a.m’ and ‘p.m’, how do they hope to run the PMO one day?'”
Through her father’s diary entries, private tales narrated to her and her personal analysis, Sharmistha uncovers new, hitherto unknown sides of his political life – his unfulfilled ambition of turning into India’s prime minister arising out of his lack of ability to emerge because the ‘primary individual’ to earn Sonia Gandhi’s belief, the persona cult across the Nehru-Gandhi household and Rahul Gandhi’s lack of charisma and political understanding amongst different issues, based on the e book’s publishers Rupa Publications.
“He (Rahul) was conspicuously absent during the flag-raising ceremony at the AICC on the party’s 130th Foundation Day on 28 December 2014, barely six months after the Congress’s loss in the general elections,” the previous Congress spokesperson writes in her e book.
One of the early references in his diaries about Rahul Gandhi was on January 29, 2009, within the context of a CWC assembly that had discussions on methods for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections that yr as one of many agendas, the e book says. After that, there are few references in his diaries of Rahul Gandhi visiting him at his residence.
“Pranab described him as ‘very courteous’ and ‘filled with questions’, which he took as an indication of Rahul’s need to study. But he felt that Rahul was ‘but to mature politically’.
Rahul continued to satisfy Pranab at Rashtrapati Bhavan, although not very incessantly. Pranab suggested him to affix the Cabinet and acquire some first-hand expertise in governance. Rahul clearly didn’t heed the recommendation, as everyone knows,” the e book says.
“During one of these visits on 25 March 2013, Pranab noted, ‘He has interest in diverse range of subjects but moves very quickly from one subject to another. I don’t know how much he listened and absorbed’,” it provides.
Pranab Mukherjee served as India’s finance minister and subsequently turned minister for External Affairs, Defence, Finance and Commerce. He was India’s thirteenth president (2012 to 2017). He died on August 31, 2020 on the age of 84.
As the president of the only largest social gathering Congress to win the Lok Sabha elections in 2004, Sonia Gandhi was tipped to be the prime minister and had the complete help of the coalition companions.
With inputs from PTI
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