Pranab Mukherjee’s office rubbishes fake statements attributed to him

Former President Pranab Mukherjee’s office on Thursday rubbished quotes attributed to him by several right-wing followers during the last few days. The quotes were shared on both Facebook and Twitter following Mukherjee’s decision to accept the invitation to address a valedictory function for Pracharaks at the RSS headquarters.

One such statement attributed to the former President read, “मैं मनमोहन की तरह गुलाम नहीं हूं मुझे जो ठीक लग रहा है मैं वह कर रहा हूं आज भारत को RSS जैसे संगठन की आवश्यकता है : प्रणब मुखर्जी” (I am not a slave like ManMohan Singh. I am doing what I feel is correct. Today, India needs an organisation like the RSS.)”

Meanwhile former Union Minister and Congress leader Anand Sharma took to Twitter to articulate the discomfort in the Indian National Congress.

“The images of Pranab Da, veteran leader and ideologue at RSS Headquarters have anguished millions of Congress workers and all those who believed in pluralism, diversity and the foundational values of the Indian Republic,” he tweeted and added, “Dialogue can only be with those who are willing to listen, absorb and change. There is nothing to suggest that RSS has moved away from his core agenda as it seeks legitimacy.”

Political Secretary of former Congress President Sonia Gandhi had on Wednesday tweeted a single line saying that he did not expect this from Pranab Mukherjee. This fuelled speculation that differences between the former President, who is no longer associated with any political party, and the Congress had grown to the point of no-return.

Early on Thursday evening, photographs of the former President visiting the home of RSS founder KB Hegdewar and writing in the visitors’ book that he had come to pay tributes to a great son of Mother India triggered a fresh round of acerbic comments.

The RSS founder had not allowed the RSS to get involved in Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha Andolan, pointed out many observers while others pointed to Hegdewar’s pro-British positions.

Even as RSS and BJP supporters welcomed the ‘wise’ decision of the former President, veteran journalist Nikhil Wagle tweeted:

Dear @CitiznMukherjee, please see what you have done. Because of you all TV channels are giving free publicity to a fascist organisation.

Others were quick to point out that in 2014 when Doordarshan broadcast the annual Vijaya Dashami speech of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, it has triggered a nation-wide controversy. Almost four years later, almost all TV channels were on Thursday airing live an annual event which had received no media attention in the past.