Sharmistha Mukherjee, daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee, has publicly questioned Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's expressed "shock" at her father's ambition to become Prime Minister. This reaction follows revelations in Gandhi's recently published memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love.
Sonia Gandhi's Memoir and Pranab Mukherjee's Ambition
In her memoir, Sonia Gandhi recounted a 2010 conversation where Pranab Mukherjee, then a senior cabinet minister, hinted at his desire for a leadership change. Gandhi interpreted this as an indication of his long-held ambition for the top political office, expressing her surprise at the suggestion.
Gandhi noted that she "gently changed the subject" at the time, but later nominated Mukherjee as the United Progressive Alliance's presidential candidate in 2012, a position he held until 2017.
Sharmistha Mukherjee's Response
Responding to Gandhi's account, Sharmistha Mukherjee took to social media, asserting that her father's ambition was a natural outcome of decades of hard work, experience, and a brilliant mind. She questioned why such aspiration would be a cause for "shock," especially when it came from someone who rose from a humble background through sheer merit.
"What's there to get 'shocked' about? Is it a crime to be ambitious, especially when that 'ambition' was supported by decades of experience in politics and governance, hard work and a brilliant mind?" she wrote.
Mukherjee emphasized that her father's achievements were not due to "dynastic entitlements," drawing a clear distinction from the Gandhi-Nehru family's political lineage. She further questioned if Gandhi's surprise stemmed from the fact that someone outside the prominent political dynasty dared to harbor such an ambition.
A Legacy of Pragmatism and Public Service
Sharmistha also clarified that, based on her father's diaries and conversations, Pranab Mukherjee never held the incident against Sonia Gandhi or anyone else. She described him as a pragmatic individual with a deep understanding of human reasons and insecurities.
Pranab Mukherjee, who passed away in August 2020, had a distinguished political career, holding various key cabinet portfolios before serving as India's 13th President.