Pranab Mukherjee hails Rahul and Modi at the same time

New Delhi: Amid raging debate over the imminent elevation of Mr Rahul Gandhi, former president Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said the Congress vice-president was fully qualified to lead the party. ‘’The young man has the capacity to respond to change, adapt and adjust,’’ Mr Mukherjee said in an interview to NDTV. The former president said he believed that a person acquired leadership qualities with time. ‘It is circumstances that throw up a leader,’’ he said ,citing the instance of how Indira Gandhi rose up in stature and how Rajiv Gandhi became a third world leader by taking a leading role on disarmament at the UN.

On criticism of the Congress over ‘’lack of internal democracy’’ in the context of the election of its leaders, Mr Mukherjee said every party had its own mechanism for choosing the people to lead it, so it was an internal matter of the party as to how it would chose its president. Congress president Sonia Gandhi had a few days back hinted that Mr Gandhi’s elevation might happen soon. Mr Mukherjee, during the interview, also endorsed Ms Gandhi’s decision in 2004 to select Dr Manmohan Singh for the prime ministership of the country. (UNI)

Modi has "unique capacity" to work hard with determination: Pranab Mukherjee

New Delhi: Former president Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said while all the Prime Ministers he was associated with had made "stellar contributions", the present incumbent Narendra Modi has "unique capacity to work very hard and has a clear vision" on what he wants to achieve. "He has a unique capacity to work very hard with strong determination....He has a clear vision and he works very hard to achieve that," Mr Mukherjee told NDTV here. Mr Mukherjee maintained that as an outsider to Delhi, "it was not easy" for Mr Modi to take the charge and run the affairs of nation in the national capital as he came with the background of a Chief Minister from a state.

The former president said Mr Modi learnt the "intricacies" of administration, foreign policy and various facets of India's relationship with neighbors rather quickly. Mr Mukherjee also spoke highly about former prime ministers like Indira Gandhi -- under whom he served for nine years and said, "to me she was the best....even 30 years after her death many Indians believe she was the best they had". Talking about P V Narasimha Rao, albeit in a lighter vein, he said, Late Rao had mastered the "art" of indecisiveness. But he suggested that was not correct as the former PM Rao often deliberately did not take a decision -- as he wanted to avoid "contradictions and controversies". (UNI)