Days after Rahul’s Babri snub to Rao, Manmohan Singh stands up for his ‘visionary, pluralist’ Boss

Ten days after Congress scion Rahul Gandhi obliquely blamed former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao for the party’s downslide in the northern heartland...

Ten days after Congress scion Rahul Gandhi obliquely blamed former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao for the party’s downslide in the northern heartland, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today showered praises on his former mentor.

Singh was Rao’s finance minister in the Congress government between 1991-96, a period which saw the beginning of economic reforms, the fall of Babri Masjid and the decline of the Congress. Singh today said Rao was a “sanyasi in politics”, “a visionary” and a “true pluralist.”

During his election campaign in UP on March 19, Rahul Gandhi hailed economic reforms, but virtually disowned Rao by stating if a Gandhi had been active, the Masjid would not have fallen and the Congress would not have an alliance with the BSP in 1996, which he termed a “sell-out.” The Congress under Rao had entered into an alliance with the BSP in UP in 1996 as a junior partner. Rahul Gandhi believes that the alliance sounded the death-knell for the party, though he added that he did not mean to “blame anyone.”

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But Singh is not ready to disown his former boss.

Talking at conference organised by the former PM’s brother, Singh was lavish with praises for Rao. “I am happy that this conference is intended to pay tribute to the memory of a great son of India, our former PM, Shri Narasimha Raoji.

I will always cherish the unique opportunity I had to work with him. He was a friend, philosopher and guide in many ways. As I saw him from close quarters, he was truly a Sanyasi in politics. He was a moderniser who was steeped in our tradition and ethos. He was a rare scholar, statesman who gave a new sense of direction not only to our economic but also foreign policies.

His command over several languages was not just a linguistic capability. It made him truly a pan-Indian personality equally at ease in Karimnagar, Pune, Benaras, and Delhi!,” Singh said about the man who brought him into politics.