Pranab Mukherjee Believes Rahul Gandhi Still Needs Political Maturity

President Pranab Mukherjee has criticized Rahul Gandhi’s actions, stating that it was the final blow for the Congress party. Mukherjee was particularly appalled at Gandhi’s display of disdain for his own government during a press conference. The President questioned why the public should vote for the Congress party when its Vice President showed such disrespect for his own government. Mukherjee also expressed his disapproval of Gandhi’s decision to denigrate the Prime Minister while he was abroad, calling it a humiliating act. He further commented on Gandhi’s arrogance and lack of political acumen, suggesting that politics may not be his true calling.

Mukherjee also shared another incident that disappointed him during his time as a minister. In 2009, Congress President Sonia Gandhi called a meeting to discuss distancing the party from the Prime Minister’s stance on a controversial declaration. Mukherjee objected to denigrating the office of the Prime Minister and insisted on maintaining respect for the position.

The President also expressed his hurt when Sonia Gandhi did not allow the cortege carrying the remains of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao to enter the Congress headquarters. Mukherjee found this act disgraceful and criticized the lack of respect shown by the party towards leaders like Lal Bahadur Shastri and Narasimha Rao. He sarcastically remarked that Sonia Gandhi and her children believed that only their family had made any significant contributions to the Congress and the nation.

These incidents and more are chronicled in the book “Pranab, My Father” by Sharmistha Mukherjee, the President’s daughter. The book relies on the President’s diary entries, which he wrote every night before retiring to bed since his time as an MP in 1969. The diary provides a chronicle of contemporary political history.

President Mukherjee left his diary to his daughter with the instruction to make its contents public after his death. Sharmistha has extensively quoted from the diary and also included conversations she had with her father and other political figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Despite her previous involvement with the Congress party, Modi openly and honestly shared his relationship with Mukherjee.

The diary entries also shed light on Mukherjee’s impressions of Modi. The President noted that Modi had clarity in his thoughts, a professional approach to statecraft, and a strong connection with the people. Mukherjee believed that Modi was the only Prime Minister after Indira Gandhi who had the ability to truly understand the pulse of the people. Despite their differences, Mukherjee recognized Modi’s political sense and decision to spend Diwali with Jawans in Siachen and flood-affected people in Srinagar.

Mukherjee also expressed his disappointment in Rahul Gandhi’s leadership abilities. After the 2014 election defeat, Mukherjee recorded in his diary that Rahul seemed detached from the party’s campaign and lacked the killer instinct necessary for a party leader. Even when some of Mukherjee’s former colleagues poured venom against Rahul and complained about his inaccessibility, the President did not see a significant improvement in his leadership.

Before the 2019 elections, Mukherjee told his daughter that he would acknowledge Rahul’s emergence as a leader if the Congress party won 88 seats. However, the party only managed to secure 52 seats, failing Mukherjee’s test. When Rahul resigned as party chief and suggested a non-Gandhi leader, Mukherjee questioned the autonomy and authority such a leader would have.

Despite ideological differences, the Modi regime paid tribute to Mukherjee by having him preside over the launch of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) a fortnight before his retirement. Mukherjee, as Finance Minister, had proposed the GST, which was initially opposed by the BJP. However, when Modi implemented the GST, Congress boycotted the launch event and criticized it as the “Gabbar Singh Tax.” In response, Mukherjee emphasized the importance of serious debates and criticized Rahul’s use of catchy slogans that trivialized the issue.

Overall, the book “Pranab, My Father” provides insights into Mukherjee’s observations and experiences in Indian politics, including his opinions on Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Narendra Modi.