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Sonia Gandhi couldn’t handle affairs of Congress party: Pranab Mukherjee in memoirs

Late former President Pranab Mukherjee

Late former President of India Pranab Mukherjee

The late former President of India Pranab Mukherjee in the final volume of his memoir The Presidential Years, scheduled for a release in January 2021, has mentioned several interesting insights about the Indian National Congress party and its functioning.

From his opinions on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to party President Sonia Gandhi, Mukherjee recollected many challenges he faced in his tenure as President. His memoir also held Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh responsible for party’s devastating loss in the 2014 general elections.

Some members of the Congress have theorised that, I had become the PM in 2004, the party might have averted the 2014 Lok Sabha drubbing. Though I don’t subscribe to this view, I do believe that the party’s leadership lost political focus after my elevation as president, Mukherjee wrote.

?While Sonia Gandhi was unable to handle the affairs of the party, Dr Singh’s prolonged absence from the House put an end to any personal contact with the other MPs, the memoir states.

Commenting on Dr Singh’s role as Prime Minister to PM Modi’s autocratic? style of governance, Mukherjee remarked, I believe that moral authority to govern vests with the PM. The overall state of the nation is reflective of the functioning of the PM and his administration. 

He further said, While Dr Singh was preoccupied with saving the coalition, which took a toll on governance, Modi seemed to have employed a rather autocratic style of governance during his first term, as seen by the bitter relationship among the government, the legislature and judiciary. Only time will tell if there is a better understanding on such matters in the second term of this government.

The memoir also mentioned a minor diplomatic issue that arose during his visit to the United States in 2015, when the US Secret Service had insisted President Barack Obama to travel in a specially armoured vehicle that had been brought along by them, instead of the car designated for use by the Indian head of State.

They wanted me to travel in the same armoured car along with Obama. I politely but firmly refused to do so, and requested the Ministry of External Affairs to inform the US authorities that when the US President travels with the Indian President in India, he would have to trust our security arrangements. It cannot be the other way around. 

Mukherjee, who passed away on August 31 this year due to COVID-19 complications, had already wrapped up work on the memoir days before his demise. He was a senior minister in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and the President between 2012 and 2017.

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Hardik Patel quits Congress, says no youngster is willing to work, vote; accuses leaders of ‘enjoying in abroad’

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Radhika Dhawad | Vadodara
Gujarat Working President Hardik Patel tendered his resignation from the Congress party today morning. Patel took to Twitter to announce his decision and shared an image of his resignation.
 
Patel said, “Big leaders of Congress in Gujarat are far away from issues of the state but are more focussed on ensuring that chicken sandwich for leaders who have come from Delhi is delivered on time!”
In the letter, he also said, “The party has constantly been working against the interests of the country and society.”

Hardik Patel’s letter to Congress President Sonia Gandhi

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Yogi Adityanath

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Early numbers reveal that the BJP has crossed the halfway mark with over 271 seats in Uttar Pradesh at 12:07 pm thus making its way to retain power for the second straight term in the state. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is all set to become the Chief Minister for the second time. 


While the BJP was leading in 271 seats, Samajwadi Party (SP) managed to secure 121 seats so far. The BSP has managed to secure five seats while Congress so far has four seats.

(With total 403 seats in UP, 202 is the halfway mark)

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Indian student killed during shelling in Ukraines Kharkiv

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Representational image

Representational image

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In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, videos showed extensive damage from the Russian military assault. One video showed the city’s largest government building blown up.

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The News Minute reported that Shekhrappa was standing in a queue at a supermarket in Kharkiv to buy food when Russian shelling began.



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