'Frustrated sarfira': Ashok Gehlot slams Mani Shankar Aiyar for remarks against Rajiv Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Former Rajasthan chief minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday called his party colleague Mani Shankar Aiyar a frustrated "sarfira." Reacting strongly to Aiyar's remarks questioning the competency of late Rajiv Gandhi, Gehlot said: "His statements about Rajiv Gandhi reflect the height of frustration. There is so much frustration in him. In such a situation, a person does not know what he is saying. Only a 'sarfira' can say such a thing about Rajiv Gandhi."
Calling Aiyar's comments condemnable, Gehlot said Rajiv Gandhi increased India's prestige abroad as the Prime Minister and claimed that exemplary laws were passed during his tenure.
On Wednesday, Congress leader Harish Rawat had called Aiyar a "frustrated individual." "I don't want to comment on someone who is a frustrated individual...I knew Rajiv Gandhi, who gave the country a modern outlook. He took concrete steps for the liberalisation of the economy as well. Unfortunately, a section of the party (Congress) did not stand with him, or else the country's history would have been something else. His speeches as LoP still guide leaders," Rawat had said.
Nana Patole, former Maharashtra Congress chief had slammed Aiyar for digging out uncomfortable details about the former PM who left the world long ago. “He has lost his mental balance, he should get himself examined,” Patole had said yesterday.
Congress leaders have unleashed an offensive against Aiyar after BJP leader Amit Malviya shared a video on his official 'X' handle in which former Union minister is heard questioning former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's education.

In the video, Aiyar is heard saying that despite failing at Cambridge, where passing is considered relatively easy, he went on to attend Imperial College London, only to face failure again.
Also read: 'How could someone who failed twice become PM?': Mani Shankar Aiyar's shocker on Rajiv Gandhi; Cong calls him 'frustrated leader'
"Rajiv Gandhi struggled academically, even failing at Cambridge, where passing is relatively easy. He then moved to Imperial College London but failed there as well. Many questioned how someone with his academic record could become the Prime Minister. Let the veil be stripped", Amit Malviya captioned his post on 'X.
This is not the first time that Aiyar has landed the Congress in trouble with his remarks. There have been several instances in the past when Aiyar has embarrassed the Congress by speaking out of turn. His remarks mocking PM Modi's past as a tea seller in 2014 gave the BJP a weapon to brand Congress as an elitist party. He later made another derogatory remark against the Prime Minister leading to his suspension from the party. However, his recent remarks against the Gandhis don't appear to be unintentional.
Aiyar had recently claimed that his career was both made and unmade by the Gandhis. In an interview to news agency PTI, Aiyar had mentioned that aside from one occasion, he had limited meaningful interactions with Rahul Gandhi, and he had only spent time with Priyanka Gandhi on two occasions.
“For 10 years, I was not given an opportunity to meet Sonia Gandhi one-on-one. I was not given an opportunity, except once, of spending any meaningful time with Rahul Gandhi. And I have not spent time with Priyanka except on one occasion, no, two occasions. She comes on the phone to me, so I’m in touch with them. So, the irony of my life is that my political career was made by the Gandhis and unmade by the Gandhis," he had said.
(With inputs from agencies)