Pranab Mukherjee questioned Rahul Gandhi’s ability to lead the Congress and was disappointed by his “frequent disappearing acts”, reveals a new book written by Congress veteran Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmishtha Mukherjee.

In the book “Pranab My Father”, Sharmishtha Mukherjee, a former Congress leader, shares her father’s critical comments on Rahul Gandhi and his take on his relationship with the Gandhi family.

“One morning, during Pranab’s usual morning walk in the Mughal Gardens (now Amrit Udyan), Rahul came to see him. Pranab disliked any interruptions during his morning walks and puja. Nevertheless, he decided to meet him. It turned out that Rahul was actually scheduled to meet Pranab later in the evening, but his (Rahul’s) office mistakenly informed him that the meeting was in the morning. I came to know about the incident from one of the ADCs. When I asked my father, he commented sardonically, ‘If Rahul’s office can’t differentiate between ‘a.m’ and ‘p.m’, how do they hope to run the PMO one day?'”

The book features pages of Pranab Mukherjee’s diary, which includes his thoughts and ideas on contemporary Indian politics. The former President, who died in 2020, worked with three generations of Gandhis and held top ministries in the government over an illustrious career spanning decades.

Pranab Mukherjee was Finance and Defence Minister in the Congress-led UPA government during the years Rahul Gandhi was starting his political journey as an MP from Amethi.

The book refers to an incident that left Pranab Mukherjee dismayed and wondering about Rahul Gandhi. He “was conspicuously absent during the flag-raising ceremony at the AICC on the party’s 130th Foundation Day on 28 December 2014, barely six months after the Congress’s loss in the general elections”, writes Sharmishtha Mukherjee.

Pranab Mukherjee, according to his daughter, noted in his diary, “Rahul was not present at the AICC function. I don’t know the reason but many such incidents happened. As he got everything so easily, he doesn’t value it. Soniaji is bent upon making her son the successor but the young man’s lack of charisma and political understanding is creating a problem. Can he revive the Congress? Can he inspire people? I don’t know”.

The Congress veteran was “disappointed with Rahul’s frequent disappearing acts”, writes Sharmishtha Mukherjee, especially as he personally didn’t take time off and diligently attended all official and party events. “He felt that Rahul’s frequent breaks during a crucial period of the party were causing him to lose the perception battle.”

But while commenting on her father’s criticism, Sharmishtha Mukherjee also writes: “Though Pranab was critical of Rahul and seemed to have lost faith in his ability to revive the Congress, one thing is undeniable. Had Pranab been alive today, he would have definitely appreciated Rahul’s dedication, tenacity, and the outreach during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. This 145-day Yatra, spanning over 4,000 km, has arguably positioned Rahul as a highly credible face of the political narrative countering bigotry.”

The Archies, directed by Zoya Akhtar and starring Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor, Dot, Vedang Raina, and more is making headlines ahead of its premiere tomorrow. 

At a special screening in Mumbai last night, the entire Bachchan family, Shah Rukh Khan’s family, and various other celebrities graced the event. With just one day until the film’s release, Abhishek Bachchan shared a heartfelt post welcoming Agastya into the world of movies. 

In the picture, Agastya is elegantly dressed in a black velvet suit with a bow tie, while Abhishek opted for an all-black ensemble. Yesterday, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Aaradhya, Navya Naveli Nanda, Shweta Bachchan, Nikhil Nanda, and Nitasha Nanda were seen posing together for a group pic at The Archies premiere.

Shah Rukh Khan and his family came together to support his daughter Suhana Khan at the premiere of her debut film The Archies. Many videos of SRK walking the red carpet with Suhana have gone viral. Now, an old video from 2011 of SRK manifesting this moment at the Filmfare Awards has resurfaced. 

The video is from the 56th Filmfare Awards, where Shah Rukh Khan won Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) for his film My Name Is Khan. During his award acceptance speech, he said, “To be really honest, my daughter has not been well and I wanted her to come here wearing a red gown, walk the red carpet with me but she is not well.” 

The video sees SRK accepting the award from Rekha. Now, years later on Tuesday, SRK was seen walking at The Archies red carpet with Suhana who was dressed in red.

On Tuesday, Shah Rukh, Gauri, along with their children Aryan Khan and AbRam, as well as Gauri’s mother Savita Chhibber, attended the premiere of The Archies in Mumbai. The Khan family posed together at the event, with Shah Rukh even sporting a T-shirt that had “The Archies” written on it to show his support for his daughter’s first film.

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