Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar recently described the irony of his political career, stating that it was both “made and unmade” by the Gandhi family. In an interview with PTI, the 83-year-old leader spoke about his limited interactions with the key members of the Gandhi family and the impact they have had on his career.
Aiyar revealed that despite being associated with the Congress for decades, his one-on-one interactions with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were rare. “For 10 years, I was not given an opportunity to meet Sonia Gandhi one-on-one. I had only one meaningful meeting with Rahul Gandhi and two interactions with Priyanka Gandhi,” he said.
He also recalled a particular incident when he conveyed birthday wishes to Rahul Gandhi through Priyanka Gandhi during a period of suspension from the party. When Priyanka asked why he wasn’t speaking directly to Rahul, Aiyar replied, “I am suspended and therefore I can’t talk to my leader.”
Aiyar was also critical of certain decisions made by the Congress leadership, particularly the appointment of Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister in 2004. He argued that Pranab Mukherjee would have been a better choice and suggested that this decision contributed to the Congress’s defeat in the 2014 elections.
He further pointed to the mishandling of key issues like corruption allegations, the Commonwealth Games scandal, and the Anna Hazare movement, which severely damaged the UPA government’s image. Aiyar claimed that these missteps were turning points that led to the party’s downfall.
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Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar makes BIG claim, says, ‘my career made, unmade by…’
