In a surprising statement likely to spark political controversy, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar questioned former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's educational qualifications, claiming he failed twice at Cambridge and Imperial College. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya shared an excerpt of Mani Shankar Aiyar's interview on X with the caption, “Let the veil be stripped.”
In the interview, Mani Shankar Aiyar said, “When Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister, I thought, how could a person who was an airline pilot and had failed twice become the prime minister?”
“I studied with him at Cambridge, where he had failed. Failing at Cambridge University is very difficult because the university tries to ensure that everyone at least passes. But despite that, Rajiv Gandhi failed. After that, he went to Imperial College in London, and he failed there as well. Then I thought, how can such a person become the prime minister of the country?” the Congress leader is heard saying.
Mani Shankar Aiyar's shocker on Rajiv Gandhi comes days after the former Union Minister claimed that the irony of his life was that his political career was “made by the Gandhis and unmade by the Gandhis”.
Mani Shankar Aiyar also said that for 10 years, he was not given the opportunity to meet Sonia Gandhi one-on-one or spend any meaningful time with Rahul Gandhi except once.
“And I have not spent time with Priyanka except on two occasions. And she comes on the phone to me, so I'm in touch with them. So the irony of my life is that my political career was made by the Gandhis and unmade by the Gandhis,” he told PTI.
The Congress leader said the very family that gave him the opportunity had withdrawn that opportunity from him.
On Mani Shankar Aiyar's comments on Rajiv Gandhi, Congress MP Kunwar Danish Ali said, “Rajiv Gandhi is remembered for bringing IT revolution and modernisation in the country. He had also initiated the Panchayati Raj system,” – clearly indicating that the work he has done for the country should be remembered.
