Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmistha slams Congress amid memorial row: ‘Rahul Gandhi has had his chances…’

Talking about her late father’s 2018 RSS headquarter visit, Sharmistha said RSS had invited Pranab Mukherjee to Nagpur

Days after a Congress leader accused the Union government of indulging in “dirty politics” following its decision to set up a memorial for Pranab Mukherjee, Sharmistha Mukherjee, the daughter of the former President, slammed the grand-old-party saying it had become “intolerant”.

Reacting to Congress MP Danish Ali’s comments that the memorial for Pranab Mukherjee had been granted because he bowed his head at the Nagpur headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Sharmistha told The Tribune that Congress had become “intolerant and habitual of hounding those who spoke their mind or criticised the leadership of the party”.

Sharmistha, who had quit active politics in 2021, also recalled being “hounded by Congress leaders after her book which mentioned Pranab Mukherjee’s adversarial remarks about Rahul”.

She said that Congress was going “nowhere” currently under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and stated the party does not seem to have any strategy or direction. Claiming the Opposition INDIA bloc partners are also questioning the leadership of Congress now, she said that Rahul Gandhi must take a step back.

“It is extremely important for the party to develop new leadership and Rahul had his chances. He has been the face of Congress since 2014 and has been in politics for longer,” she told The Tribune.

The central government, in a letter to Sharmistha Mukherjee, said “The Competent Authority has approved the earmarking of a designated site within the 'Rashtriya Smriti' complex (a part of the Rajghat precinct) for erecting a Samadhi of Late Shri Pranab Mukherjee, former President of India.”

After receiving the letter, Sharmistha Mukherjee sought an appointment with the Prime Minister to thank him for the honour.

Mukherjee's memorial came in the wake of demands by the Congress for having a memorial for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who died at AIIMS at the age of 92 on December 26. Reacting to the announcement, Congress’s Danish Ali said the Modi government indulged in dirty politics over death and rejected the demand of the entire nation for space for Manmohan Singh at Rajghat memorial site and has given land at the same place for Pranab Mukherjee's memorial.

“This decision of the government is also a gift to Pranab Mukherjee for his love for the Sangh. Pranab Mukherjee had bowed his head at the Nagpur headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and conferred the title of Dhartiputra on Sangh founder Hedgewar. Mukherjee had also played an important role in getting Savarkar's picture installed in the Parliament House,” he wrote on X.

Talking about her late father’s 2018 RSS headquarter visit, Sharmistha said RSS had invited Pranab Mukherjee to Nagpur and revealed that in one AICC session, Pranab Mukherjee had advocated banning of RSS.