IANS/New Delhi
Former president A P J Abdul Kalam’s comment that Sonia Gandhi never claimed the prime minister’s post in 2004 has led to a war of words between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
While the Congress says it proves the BJP was opposed to Gandhi’s prime ministerial candidature, the main opposition party says she is still the “super prime minister.”
In a chapter titled Controversial Decisions in his latest book Turning Points, Kalam says if Gandhi, as chief of the victorious party, had made “any claim for herself, I would have had no option but to appoint her” (as the prime minister.)
The BJP had vociferously protested any move to make her the prime minister and party leader Sushma Swaraj had vowed to shave her head if Gandhi was made the head of government.
Reacting to Kalam’s statement, the BJP said Gandhi was ultimately the “super prime minister.”
“This is not anything new... Kalam ‘saab’ has said this earlier as well,” BJP spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.
“But that does not make Sonia Gandhi ‘mother India’, she is still the super PM, it is power without accountability,” he said.
The Congress fired back saying it was all a conspiracy of those who did not want to see Gandhi as the prime minister.
“What Kalam has said directly points to the BJP who did not want Sonia Gandhi to be the prime minister. They had gone to the president against her,” a spokesperson said.
In 2004, when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance was voted to power, Gandhi, the party chief, had refused to accept the post and named Manmohan Singh to be prime minister.
Amid opposition and cries from her party members, Gandhi said “the post of prime minister has not been my aim. I was always certain that, if ever I found myself in the position I am in today, I would follow my inner voice. I humbly decline the post.”