Books
Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi during a meeting of All India Congress Committee in New Delhi. (Naveen Jora/India Today Group/GettyImages)
Prominent Indian leader and former President Pranab Mukherjee's daughter, Sharmistha Mukherjee, reveals critical insights into her father's perspectives on Congress leader and Prime Ministerial aspirant Rahul Gandhi in her upcoming book, 'Pranab, My Father – A Daughter Remembers.'
Mukherjee, according to his daughter, deemed Rahul Gandhi "courteous" but "yet to mature politically."
His decision to vehemently oppose a proposed government ordinance in 2013, publicly criticising a Cabinet decision, was seen by Mukherjee as a detrimental move for the Congress's 2014 Lok Sabha election prospects.
Sharmistha recounts her father's disappointment, noting his diary entry that night, where he expressed concern over Rahul's actions, saying, "He has all the arrogance of his Gandhi–Nehru lineage without their political acumen."
Furthermore, the book highlights Mukherjee's disappointment with Rahul's "frequent disappearing acts" and perceived lack of commitment to the demands of serious politics.
She further quotes Pranab saying, "Perhaps his distance from the party and a lack of killer instinct could be reasons for his failure to enthuse the party workers to fight the election which BJP got from Narendra Modi.