'Rajiv Gandhi failed in Cambridge, Imperial College': Mani Shankar Aiyar triggers fresh row

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has stirred controversy with his remarks on former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s academic record, questioning how someone who "failed twice" could become the country’s leader. In a video that went viral after being shared by BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya, Aiyar is heard stating that when Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister, he and others were surprised due to his poor academic record.

“When Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister, people thought, I thought, he’s an airline pilot, he has failed twice… I studied with him in Cambridge… he failed there, where it is considered very easy to pass. After this, he took admission in Imperial College London, but failed there as well. So, I wondered how such a person could become the Prime Minister,” Aiyar said.

Malviya, while sharing the clip on X, remarked: “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.”

Aiyar’s comments have put the Congress in an awkward position, with party leaders distancing themselves from the remarks. Ajay Singh Yadav, a senior Congress leader, dismissed Aiyar’s relevance within the party. “Mani Shankar Aiyar has no relevance in the party. He does not hold any significant position. Therefore, there is no need to give much attention to his statement,” Yadav said.

The BJP, however, seized on Aiyar’s remarks, with former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta stating that the comment reinforces their stand on dynastic politics. “Mani Shankar has rightly said that it was due to dynastic politics that Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister, leader, but everyone knows how capable he was,” Gupta said.

Aiyar, who has authored a book on Rajiv Gandhi titled ‘The Rajiv I Knew’, has made controversial remarks in the past, including statements that have drawn sharp reactions from both the Congress and the BJP.