3 months ago
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Congress seasoned Mani Shankar Aiyar connected Wednesday (February 18, 2026) said helium is simply a "Gandhian", a "Nehruvian" and a "Rajivian", but not a "Rahulian" due to the fact that Rahul Gandhi "is acold excessively overmuch younger than maine and acold excessively distant from maine successful his governmental life”.
Mr. Aiyar added that helium did not accidental helium is an "Indiravian" due to the fact that helium "totally disapproved" of Indira Gandhi "converting our ideology into a tyranny" by declaring Emergency, albeit for a specified 18 months.
Referring to his connection connected Rahul Gandhi that was precocious reported successful the media, Mr. Aiyar asked, "How tin 1 expect maine to beryllium a 'Rahulian' erstwhile the lad is astir 30 years younger than me, and I haven't had an accidental to enactment with him?" Speaking with PTI, Mr. Aiyar said helium precocious said that "I americium a Gandhian, I americium a Nehruvian, I americium a Rajivian, but I americium not a Rahulian”.
Elaborating connected his statement, the erstwhile Union Minister said, "I was six-year-old and my member was 4 erstwhile Mahatma Gandhi picked america up successful his arms and said 'ye specified aankhon ke suraj aur chand hain'.
"From there, I became a 'Gandhivaadi'. As for Nehru, I was six erstwhile helium became the Prime Minister, and I was 23 erstwhile helium ceased being one, truthful my full growing-up years were steeped successful the Nehruvian ethos; that is wherefore I besides respect myself arsenic a Nehruvian."
"I telephone myself a ‘Rajivian’ due to the fact that it was he, though 2 years younger than me, who astonished maine by bringing maine into the PMO and by doing the things helium did… I could not judge it. That is however I became a Rajivian," helium said.
It should beryllium noted, helium said, that helium did not accidental "Indiravian" due to the fact that helium "totally disapproved" of her "converting our ideology into a tyranny by declaring an Emergency, albeit for lone 18 months".
"But I added, however bash you expect maine to beryllium a 'Rahulian' erstwhile the lad is 30 years younger than me, idiosyncratic I didn't person an accidental to enactment with? That is wherefore I cannot beryllium a 'Rahulian' due to the fact that helium is acold excessively overmuch younger than maine and acold excessively distant from maine successful his governmental life," Mr. Aiyar said.
Mr. Aiyar's remarks travel amid strained ties with the Congress.
It began erstwhile Mr. Aiyar, speaking successful Thiruvananthapuram connected Sunday (February 15, 2026), expressed assurance that Pinrayi Vijayan of the CPI(M) volition continue to beryllium Kerala's Chief Minister.
The Congress seasoned was speaking astatine an planetary seminar inaugurated by Vijayan.
Mr. Aiyar said, "So, successful the beingness of the main minister, who I americium definite volition beryllium the adjacent main minister, I renew my plea that to reenforce Kerala arsenic the champion Panchayati Raj authorities successful the country, authorities laws should beryllium amended based connected applicable experience, Thomas Isaac's insights, the five-volume study I chaired and the enactment connected territory readying by V Ramachandran circulated by the Planning Commission erstwhile it genuinely supported Panchayati Raj." The Congress distanced itself from Aiyar's remarks, saying helium has had nary transportation whatsoever with the enactment for the past fewer years and helium speaks and writes purely successful his idiosyncratic capacity.
The enactment besides said that the radical of Kerala volition bring the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) backmost successful powerfulness successful the confederate authorities for much liable and responsive governance.
On Monday (February 16, 2026), Mr. Aiyar went connected a verbal rampage against his enactment colleagues, a time aft saying the Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by Vijayan would clasp powerfulness successful Kerala.
In a bid of scathing remarks, Mr. Aiyar branded Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor an "unprincipled careerist", labelled AICC wide caput (organisation) K.C, Venugopal a "rowdy", and took a swipe astatine enactment seasoned Ramesh Chennithala.
On Tuesday (February 17, 2026), Mr. Aiyar said if the Congress cannot basal a dissident, it is the party's "doom", and if it does not person the courageousness to respond to the idiosyncratic successful a "polite but steadfast language", it doesn't merit to rule.
