Will Mani Shankar Aiyar mentor Rahul? Here's what he said

Mani Shankar Aiyar, the 83-year-old former Union minister has said that he is ready to mentor Congress leader Rahul Gandhi but the young Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha 'dislikes' him and considers him as ‘very old’.

Aiyar, who is in trouble with the Congress party once again over an interview in which he talks about former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s weak academic record and how he failed at Cambridge and later at the Imperial College in London, was asked if he would be ready to mentor Rahul and guide him to revive the Congress.

Aiyar replied that he was ready to mentor Rahul for the past 20 years. But, according to Aiyar, Rahul “dislikes” him.

Also read: Mani Shankar Aiyar on how a misquote and a misunderstanding ended his political career

Aiyar and the Gandhi family

On asked about his relationship with the Gandhi family, the Congress veteran said his friendship with the family “continues”. The family does not see him as an “enemy” but Rahul thinks he is “very old”. Further, he added that he took exception to this claiming that he is not "buddha" (old).

"You find another reason why you don't want me in the party and don't want to consult me," he said, according to reports.

Further, he lamented that Rahul refuses to meet him though the current Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha had once said that he would always listen to Aiyar since he was his father's friend and his father had always listened to him. But none of the family members, including Priyanka Gandhi even met him, he shared.

Aiyar stirs up controversy

A clip of Aiyar's remarks on Rajiv Gandhi's academic failures has triggered a controversy with the BJP using it to target the Congress. While the Congress has stated that Aiyar does not represent the Congress in any manner. Aiyar's off-the-cuff observations have often embarrassed the Congress and given the BJP fodder to target its rival.

Aiyar has often stirred up trouble for the Congress in the past as well. Once he had said that in 1962 China allegedly invaded India and then apologised for using the word "allegedly".

The latest row

The most recent row has eruped after Aiyar gave a two-and-a-half-hour interview from which a short portion is being circulated widely. In that clip, Aiyar talked about how Rajiv Gandhi had failed in Cambridge, where Aiyar was also studying.

“And failing in Cambridge is very difficult. It is easy to get a first-class. This is because the university wants to maintain its image and tries to ensure everyone at least passes. Then he went to Imperial College, London, and failed again. So I thought how can such a person be Prime Minister?" he said in the interview. However, the clip does not include his concluding statement in which Aiyar added that "he could now say, that Rajiv Gandhi was an excellent Prime Minister".

Gandhi family history

Aiyar was trying to make a point that the members of the Gandhi family initially seemed “incapable”.

He also gave the example of how former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was at first brushed aside as a “gungi gudiya” (dumb doll) and then she later morphed into a powerful force.

Pointing out that he was familiar with the Gandhi family history, he said, “That tells me they may seem incapable initially, but a change comes when they face challenges and show their capability. So we will see," he had said, replying to a question on whether Congress leader Rahul is capable enough to lead the Congress party and make decisions.

While the BJP posted the edited clip stating “let the veil be stripped” on Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress dismissed Aiyar as a "frustrated individual" and said it was Rajiv Gandhi who gave the country a modern outlook and took concrete steps for the liberalisation of the economy.