'Failed Twice But Became PM': Mani Shankar Aiyar’s Remark On Rajiv Gandhi Sparks Row | Video

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's criticism of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's academic failures has sparked controversy, providing ammunition for the ruling BJP.

Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar

Source : PTI

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s comment has stirred a fresh row on Wednesday after he described former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi as a two-time failure in academics, first at Cambridge and then at Imperial college. The remark from Aiyar, critical of his own party’s Prime Minister, has given the ruling BJP fresh ammunition to sharpen the attack at the grand old party.

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. pic.twitter.com/m9serSGQMs

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) March 5, 2025

The former minister has himself come under the firing line from within the Congress party for dishing out embarrassing details of Rajiv Gandhi. 

According to news agency IANS, a Congress leader dubbed Aiyar as the sleeper cell of the BJP.The comments got widely circulated on social media after BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya shared a video clip on X and posted, Let the veil be stripped.

According to news agency IANS, Aiyar, in the clip, can be heard saying, When he became Prime Minister, I was very surprised. I thought he was an airline pilot and failed at Cambridge. It is very difficult to fail at Cambridge because the university, to maintain its image, ensures that everyone at least passes. However, despite that, Rajiv Gandhi failed. He further added, After that, he went to Imperial College in London and failed there as well. Then I thought, how can such a person become the Prime Minister of the country?

Responding to the controversy, Congress leader Tariq Anwar dismissed the remarks of Aiyar and defended the legacy of Rajiv Gandhi and said that failing is not a big deal; even the best people fail sometimes. But he did not fail in politics. 

As Prime Minister, he was highly successful, Anwar told IANS. Highlighting Rajiv Gandhi's contributions, he added, He introduced Panchayati Raj, brought the IT revolution, improved communication, and promoted scientific progress. There are very few prime ministers who have achieved so much in just five years. Congress national spokesperson Charan Singh Sapra however was critical of Aiyar, accusing him of repeatedly hurting the party's image.Mani Shankar Aiyar is an influential leader and has been with Congress for a long time. But for the last several years, his statements have only damaged the party, he told IANS.