Vice-President Hamid Ansari recently released President Pranab Mukherjee’s second autobiography. This is the second edition of his memoirs where the President has penned down his experiences from 1980 to 1996. The book was released at a function in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Many political dignitaries including LK Advani, former CAG Vinod Rai, and former Union Minister Karan Singh attended the function.
Pranab Mujherjee has shared his memories on crucial events which have played a vital role in shaping India’s political course. Some of the key highlights of the book include his personal experiences of witnessing Indira Gandhi’s assassination, Babri Masjid demolition, operation Blue Star and his ouster from Rajiv Gandhi’s Cabinet.
The book has been appropriately titled: ‘The Turbulent Years: 1980-1996’, sharing the chronicle developments of the 1980s and 1990s. This is considered as the most turbulent times in the political history of India, post independence.
As quoted in the media, Mr Mukherjee has termed his exit from the Rajiv Gandhi Cabinet and the Congress party as a “fiasco” which he himself had created.
“I have candidly recognised in the book that I should have not ventured this because I was never a mass leader and I did not have the type of following which rebels from the Congress like Ajay Mukherjee in 1960s or recently Mamata and in one sense Indira ji herself had,” the President said.
Mr. Mujherjee has further implied that his book acknowledges the fact that Indira Gandhi was well-aware of the consequences of the Operation Bluestar when the army stormed Golden Temple. His personal viewpoint was that while it is easy to say that a military action should have been avoided, no other option would have worked, given the situation.
Mr. Mukherjee also makes revelations on Indira Gandhi’s assassination, After Indira Gandhi’s assassination: ‘…it was decided that we should request Rajiv Gandhi to take over as the full-fledged Prime Minister to meet the challenge posed by this extraordinary situation. Somebody suggested that I formally make this request to Rajiv and work out the modalities to be followed. I took Rajiv to the rear of the aircraft and requested him to take over as Prime Minister. His immediate question to me was, ‘Do you think I can manage?’ ‘Yes,’ I told him, ‘we are all there to help you. You will have everyone’s support.”
“Many stories have been circulated that I aspired to be the interim Prime Minister, that I had staked claim and had to be persuaded otherwise. And that this created misgivings in Rajiv Gandhi’s mind. These stories are completely false and spiteful.”
