RSS considering Mukherjee as PM, Sena claims. Sharmistha says "NOT"
What's the story
Is the RSS thinking of options for 2019? Shiv Sena thinks so. And "it might put forth Pranab Mukherjee ji as PM name if BJP fails to get required numbers," party leader Sanjay Raut said, days after Mukherjee's speech at an RSS event. But his daughter was quick to react: Mukherjee will "NOT" rejoin active politics, she asserted. Mukherjee himself remains mum.
Controversy
The start of the whole controversy
RSS had invited Mukherjee to address the Tritiya Varsh Varg at its Nagpur headquarters on June 7. Mukherjee, seen as a secular leader who's held several positions in different Congress regimes, accepting the invitation raised eyebrows. But his speech, where he spoke against defining India "in terms of dogma and identities or religion, region, hatred and intolerance," was hailed by Congress and RSS alike.
Sharmistha Mukherjee
Sharmistha Mukherjee's stand on the whole issue
Amid the controversy, Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha warned her father against going to the event, saying his speech will be forgotten, but visuals will remain and "will be circulated with fake-statements." Incidentally, a morphed-photo of the former PM doing the RSS salute did make the rounds on social-media after his speech. Sharmistha responded with an 'I-told-you-so': "This is exactly what I was fearing," she tweeted.
Twitter Post
Now Sharmistha responds to Raut's comments
Mr. Raut, after retiring as President of India, my father is NOT going to enter into active politics again https://t.co/WJmmZx5g1y
— Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) June 10, 2018
Sena
Sena once again takes on ally BJP
After this, Raut saying RSS was planning to forward Mukherjee's name as PM was bound to anger Sharmistha. "Mr Raut, after retiring as President, my father is NOT going to enter into active politics again," she wrote on Twitter. Sena and BJP are allies, but their relationship is far from amiable. Recently, it took on Amit Shah right before he met Sena's Uddhav Thackeray.