‘No Mamata Di…’: Mani Shankar Aiyar’s advice to Rahul Gandhi on India Group leadership India News

New Delhi: Public hope in days Pinarayi VijayanVeteran Congress leader wins in upcoming Kerala elections Mani Shankar Aiyar Claims to be the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee crucial for the survival of the opposition Indian bloc.Speaking to news agency IANS, Aiyar said Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi Leaders of smaller parties should be allowed to lead the Indian bloc.“Without Mamata Di, the ‘I’, ‘N’, ‘D’, ‘I’, ‘A’ of the Indian alliance will disappear. Because Mamata Banerjee is the leader of this alliance,” Aiyar said.“I hope Rahul Gandhi will not try to maintain this status as a smaller party, be it Stalin, Mamata Didi, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashvi Yadav or others, Rahul Gandhi should let them handle this issue,” he added.Recalling his early political association with Mamata Banerjee, Aiyar said he briefly joined the Trinamool Congress party in 1997 as its first national secretary but left after a few weeks, concluding that the party was rooted in Bengali identity.Asked if he was still in Congress, Aiyar said he still considered himself a party member but suggested disciplinary action could be taken against him.“I consider myself a member of parliament, but it seems they have decided to expel me. However, I have not received any official letter,” Aiyar said.He added that despite reports that he had been deported, he had not received any formal notification.“If you want to know the Congress’s point of view, ask the Congress members,” Aiyar said, adding that he believed many in the Congress supported Mamata Banerjee.Earlier, Aiyar praised the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.Things escalated quickly when Aiyar, in an interview to ANI, dismissed the authority of the current Congress leadership and declared: “I am a Gandhian, I am a Nehruvian, I am a Rajist, but I am not a Rahulite”.Citing BR Ambedkar’s characterization of dissent as “part but separate”, Aiyar positioned himself as an ideological insider with the right to resist. However, the tone quickly turned confrontational.Targeting Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, Aiyar said: “I have absolutely no respect for Pawan Khera, total contempt… He is not a spokesperson, he is a parrot.”Within hours, Congress distanced itself from the comments and publicly severed any ties with Aiyar.Khera issued a statement saying the party distanced itself from Aiyar’s remarks: “Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyar has not had any association with the Congress party over the past few years. He speaks and writes purely in his personal capacity.”