Cong failed to recognise end of its charismatic leadership; PM Modi should speak more in Parl: Pranab in book
PM Modi Narendra Modi must listen to the dissenting voices and speak more often in Parlaiment, felt former president Pranab Mukherjee.
Late Pranab Mukherjee | Photo Credit: IANS
New Delhi: Late former president Pranab Mukherjee, in his memoir, The Presidential Years 2012-2017, has said that Congress failed to recognise the end of its charismatic leadership and thus lost the Lok Sabha Elections 2014.
"I feel the party failed to recognise the end of its charismatic leadership. Tall leaders like Pandit Nehru ensured that India, unlike Pakistan, survived and developed into a strong and stable nation. Sadly, such extraordinary leaders are not there anymore, reducing the establishment to a government of averages," he wrote in his memoir.
On the poor performance of Congress in the General Elections 2014, late Mukherjee wrote that though he was relieved because of the decisive mandate, but “It was difficult to believe that the Congress had managed to win just 44 seats”.
"The Congress is a national institution interlinked with people's lives. Its future is always a concern of every thinking individual," he wrote in the book.
Late Mukherjee said that during his tenure as the president of India, he had the opportunity to work with two prime ministers, Dr Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi.
He had very cordial relations with Prime Minister Modi during his tenure, the late president wrote in the book, published by Rupa Publications.
"Modi had received a decisive mandate from the people to administer the country. Administrative powers are vested in the Council of Ministers, which the PM heads. Therefore, I did not breach my jurisdiction. Whenever tricky occasions arose, the issues were resolved," he wrote.
He also said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government during its first tenure ‘failed in its primary responsibility to ensure the smooth and proper functioning of Parliament’.
"I attribute the acrimonious exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches to the arrogance and inept handling by the government. But the Opposition is not without blame either. It had also behaved irresponsibly," he wrote.
The late president opined that PM Modi should take cue from his predecessors like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Manmohan Singh and must listen to the dissenting voices and speak more often in Parliament.
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On the issue of demonetisation, late Mukherjee wrote that suddenness and surprise were necessary for such announcements.
"I am of the firm opinion that demonetisation could not have been done with prior consultation because the suddenness and surprise, absolutely necessary for such announcements, would have been lost after such a process."
"Therefore, I was not surprised when he did not discuss the issue with me prior to making the public announcement. It also fitted in with his style of making dramatic announcements," he said.
As per the book, PM Modi had met the former president after making the demonetisation announcemnet and explained to him about the rationale behind the decision.