‘He was so angry': Pranab Mukherjee's daughter recalls 2013 Rahul Gandhi incident
Sharmistha Mukherjee was speaking at the launch of her book "Pranab My Father: A Daughter Remembers" on Monday.
Sharmistha Mukherjee, the daughter of former president Pranab Mukherjee, touched upon his assessment of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Sharmishtha said Mukherjee was opposed to the proposed ordinance a copy of which was torn by Rahul Gandhi at a press conference in September 2013, but he felt that it should be discussed in the Parliament.
At the launch of her book "Pranab My Father: A Daughter Remembers" on Monday, Sharmistha Mukherjee said, “I was the one to break the news (about tearing of the ordinance) to him. He (Pranab Mukherjee) was so angry.”
"Anyone would agree that the trashing of the ordinance by Rahul Gandhi was extremely arrogant and politically immature. Principally my father was also against the ordinance, but he said ‘who is Rahul Gandhi to do that? He was not even part of the Cabinet', the late president's daughter said at the event.
In April 2013, the Supreme Court held that MPs and MLAs convicted with a minimum two-year sentence would be immediately disqualified from the house without getting three months to appeal, as was the case until then. Months later that year, the ruling Congress government in the Centre pushed an ordinance that sought to overturn the rule that disqualifies convicted MPs and MLAs. Gandhi openly came out against his party's decision and called the move a "complete nonsense". He said the ordinance should be "torn and thrown out", and then in a stunning move at the press conference, he tore a piece of paper.
Sharmistha also said Mukherjee felt that Rahul Gandhi “lacked the killer instinct and also had a distance from the party”.
Pranab My Father: A Daughter Remembers
The book, that has references taken from Mukherjee's diaries, was launched on the occasion of his birth anniversary. The event also saw the attendance of Congress leader P Chidambaram and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijay Goel, news agency PTI reported.
On Pranab Mukherjee and Indira Gandhi
Sharmistha said her father would say that his stint with former prime minister Indira Gandhi was the "golden period" of his political life. “I personally and as a Congress supporter think we should also understand the context and conditions, which led to the imposition of Emergency. It was Indira ji who later also announced free and fair elections. And the Congress was wiped out,” the former Congress spokesperson said.
“Baba’s loyalty towards Mrs Indira Gandhi was always very clear. He stood by her in thick and thin, post Emergency. As old bonds were falling away. New bonds were created. If there is one political personality towards whom my father had personal loyalty it was Indira Gandhi. He always said it was a golden period for the party. She was duly impressed with him. Indira ji gave him a lot of opportunities,” Sharmistha said.
On Pranab Mukherjee and PM Modi
Sharmistha also said her father, as the President of the country, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi worked as a team.
“It is my father’s interpretation of the Constitutional role and limitations of the position of The President of India. He did not interfere in governance/executive. He told Mr Modi that I won’t interfere. They made efforts to work as a team,” she said.
On Pranab Mukherjee's RSS office visit
During a conversation over the book with former bureaucrat Pavan K Varma, she also recalled her opposition to her father attending a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh event.
"I fought with Baba for three to four days over his decision. One day he said that it's not me who is giving legitimacy but it's the country. Baba felt that democracy is all about dialogue. It is about having a conversation with the opposition," she added.
“There was this circulation in Congress-Left circles that him going to the RSS headquarters was providing legitimacy to the RSS. He said, ‘whom am I to give legitimacy to the RSS?' He had the ability to hear the other side of the argument, that’s why he was called a consensus builder,” Sharmistha said.
Reacting to the criticism of the book, she said that none of the senior leaders have spoken over the book with only Prithviraj Chavan saying he cannot comment on it since he hasn't read it.
Noting that only Chidambaram turned up among Congress leaders, Sharmishtha said that she was pained.
"This reaction to a certain excerpt of the book shows that they should introspect and see whether they are actually upholding the values, actually practising what they are preaching," Sharmistha said.
Sharmistha, who has quit politics, also clarified that she has not tried to tweak her father's views about anyone.
On ‘trust deficit’ between Pranab Mukherjee' and Rajiv Gandhi
Varma also asked her about the "trust deficit" between her father and Rajiv Gandhi, who succeeded his mother following her assassination. Sharmistha said there were "stories planted" by certain people that her father was not in favour of Rajiv Gandhi becoming the prime minister.
"As per Baba's notes, it was actually a planted story...to create misunderstanding between Rajiv Gandhi and Baba. The main reason behind the trust deficit was Baba's staunch personality and his non-subservient attitude. Baba said Rajiv was correct in not taking me in his Cabinet since I am a tough nut," she said.
On dropping Pranab Mukherjee from CWC
Varma then touched upon Mukherjee being dropped from the Congress Working Committee in January 1986 and his expulsion from the Congress a few months later in the same year.
Sharmistha recalled that her father was depressed and also formed the Rashtriya Samajwadi Congress but later returned to the Congress.
She then talked about how her father got upset about not being included in the PV Narasimha Rao cabinet since he considered the latter a friend but was offered the Planning Commission chairman's post.
Sharmistha also spoke about the working relationship between her father and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"There was exemplary courtesy shown by Dr Manmohan Singh... and there was a strong mutual respect between the two of them. They knew how to handle the differences," she added.
Mukherjee held key portfolios during the Congress rule. He held charges of defence, external affairs and finance.
(With inputs from PTI)
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