Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The BJP has launched a sharp attack on the Congress after senior leader Mani Shankar Aiyar questioned the qualifications of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya shared a snippet of Aiyar’s interview, stating that “the truth must come out.”
During a video interview, Aiyar claimed that many people had questioned Rajiv Gandhi’s education and his eligibility to become Prime Minister.
“Rajiv Gandhi Failed at Cambridge,” Claims Aiyar
Mani Shankar Aiyar stated that he studied alongside Rajiv Gandhi at Cambridge, where Rajiv failed his exams.
“When Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister, I wondered—how can a person who was an airline pilot and failed twice become the PM? I studied with him at Cambridge, where he failed. It is almost impossible to fail at Cambridge because the university ensures that everyone at least passes, yet Rajiv Gandhi failed,” Aiyar alleged.
He further added that after Cambridge, Rajiv Gandhi joined Imperial College London but failed there as well.
“How can such a person become the Prime Minister of the country?” Aiyar questioned.
“My Political Career Was Made and Destroyed by the Gandhi Family” – Aiyar
Aiyar acknowledged in the interview that his political career was shaped and later damaged by the Gandhi family.
“I didn’t get a chance to meet Sonia Gandhi for 10 years. I had a proper conversation with Rahul Gandhi only once and met Priyanka Gandhi just twice,” he revealed.
He expressed regret that his political career was both created and ruined by the Gandhi family.
Aiyar’s Controversial Past
Mani Shankar Aiyar has often found himself in controversy due to his statements.
• In 2017, during the Gujarat elections, his derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi hurt the Congress party.
• In 2014, before the Lok Sabha elections, Aiyar mocked Modi’s tea-seller background, only for Modi to later become Prime Minister.
Congress Defends Rajiv Gandhi, Rashid Alvi Targets BJP’s Amit Malviya
Congress leader Rashid Alvi countered Amit Malviya, accusing him of editing and manipulating facts.
“The question is not whether Rajiv Gandhi passed or failed. What matters is his leadership as Prime Minister and the work he did for the country. If you want to analyze Rajiv Gandhi, evaluate his contributions,” Alvi said.
He further attacked the BJP, stating:
“BJP leaders are not even ready to show PM Modi’s degree. The Prime Minister himself claims he was a tea-seller and is a matriculate, yet we judge him by his work, not his education. Former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri never studied at Cambridge, but he was an exceptional leader. Similarly, Rajiv Gandhi was also a capable Prime Minister who contributed significantly to India.”
