VIJAYAWADA: Describing the demise of Pranab Mukherjee as an irreparable loss to the nation and Congress party, former Rajya Sabha member and senior Congress leader KVP Ramachandra Rao said Mukherjee was a true patriot and loyalist to the core.Recalling his nearly three decades’ association with the former President, Rao said after Sonia Gandhi took over as AICC president, Pranab Mukherjee’s role in the party as well as the government became more prominent.
“Be it drafting CWC resolutions or important policies made in the party’s plenary, Pranab Mukherjee played an important role. More importantly, he ensured that they were effectively implemented. He had played an important role in every aspect pertaining to the Congress party and the Congress government at the Centre,” he recalled. Describing him as a strong-willed and master strategist par excellence, KVP recalled that at one point of time, Mukherjee headed 38 committees and each of them were important.
“I don’t think there was a strategist, who was equal to Mukherjee in his era,” he said. Stating that the former President was a simple man, who was approachable, KVP said even after he stepped down as the President, he used to receive them as before and explain several issues pertaining to policies, party and nation in a simple language. “He personally was not in favour of Andhra Pradesh bifurcation and perhaps the announcement of Chidambaram on December 9, 2009 would have been different, had Mukherjee attended the Congress Core Committee meeting. He could not attend the meeting as his flight got delayed,” KVP said.
Yalamanchili Sivaji, another former Rajya Sabha member, said he lost a good friend. “When I was Rajya Sabha member in 1992, Mukherjee was Minister of Commerce. As a member of the Standard Advisory Committee, I drafted a report on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and he was very impressed. In 1994, when I was to leave Delhi after my tenure ended, he called me to Udyag Bhavan and wanted me to stay back and asked me to head a high-power committee on agriculture. However, for ethical reasons, I refused,” he said.
Sivaji said when Pranab Mukherjee became finance minister, he was invited by the latter for key budget discussions, and even during the State bifurcation. “He treated me as a good old friend. Though we were from different parties, affection, intellectual interaction and great harmony was there,” the former MP recalled.
Pranab da was a true statesman: Jagan
Expressing grief and sorrow over the demise of former President Pranab Mukherjee, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy described him as a true statesman. Conveying condolences to the bereaved family, the Chief Minister said, “Pranab da, in his long political innings, had shown maturity in dealing with complex issues and had passed through testing times”.
Guv recalls Pranab’s services to nation
Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan recalled the services of the 13th President of the nation. He said the former president has rendered exemplary service to the nation in government as well as Parliament over five decades. He held the rare distinction of having served at different times as Foreign, Defence, Commerce, Finance Minister and was instrumental in spearheading important legislations such as Right to Information, Right to Employment, Food Security, UIDAI and Metro Rail, he said.