Sharmishtha Mukherjee's Revelations: Pranab Mukherjee's Political Journey Unveiled in New Book

Former president Pranab Mukherjee's daughter, Sharmishtha Mukherjee, stated at the launch of her book "Pranab My Father: A Daughter Remembers" that her father believed his exclusion from Rajiv Gandhi's cabinet was due to his independent and non-subservient attitude. During the book launch on Pranab Mukherjee's birth anniversary, Sharmishtha highlighted her father's perspective that his time with former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was the "golden period" of his political life.

The book, containing references from Mukherjee's diaries, addresses his assessment of Rahul Gandhi, leading to controversy. Sharmishtha also revealed her father's opposition to a proposed ordinance torn by Rahul Gandhi in 2013, emphasizing his belief in parliamentary discussion. The event saw the attendance of Congress leader P Chidambaram and BJP leader Vijay Goel.

Sharmishtha discussed her father's collaboration with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, her disagreement with his decision to attend an RSS event, and the limited references to Rahul Gandhi in the book. Reacting to criticism, she called for introspection among political leaders. Sharmishtha clarified that she has not altered her father's views and shared his perspective on the "golden period" with Indira Gandhi.

She also addressed the trust deficit between Pranab Mukherjee and Rajiv Gandhi, his expulsion from the Congress, and his upset over not being included in the PV Narsimha Rao cabinet. Sharmishtha discussed her father's working relationship with Manmohan Singh and uncertainty about whether he was the first choice for the President's post.