When 'Uncle Sam' speaks, Congress freaks: Unravelling Pitroda paradox, the last of Rajiv Gandhi's loyalists | India News – The Times of India
NEW DELHI: What do Sam Pitroda and Mani Shankar Aiyar have in common? Well, both the leaders, who were once part of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi‘s inner circle, have a penchant for landing their party in trouble with their off-the-cuff remarks.
While Mani Shankar Aiyar, whose disdainful remarks against PM Modi in 2014 caused immense harm to the Congress, has now faded into irrelevance, Pitroda continues to leave the party in the lurch — defenceless and helpless.
The latest from Pitroda was his “insightful analysis” on India-China ties. As usual, it triggered a massive political uproar. The Congress leader said New Delhi should shed the “attitude of confrontation” with Beijing as it “creates an enemy”. His statement was in contrast to his party’s top leadership, which acknowledges the dragon as an adversary to Indian interests.
As the backlash began over Pitroda’s remark, the party distanced itself from the comment but did not act against Rahul Gandhi’s mentor as “it had done last year” ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Pitroda, a Rajiv Gandhi loyalist, is the only leader from the former PM’s close circle who remains politically relevant after decades.
When Rajiv Gandhi stepped into politics, his team of inner circle included his cousin Arun Nehru, friend Arun Singh, Doon school alumnus Mani Shankar Aiyar and Sam Pitroda. Rajiv Gandhi was introduced to Sam Pitroda by his childhood friend Vijay Dhar, a Kashmiri Pandit whose father DP Dhar had a role in crafting the Indo-Soviet Friendship treaty.
While Pitroda was not involved in electoral politics like Nehru, Singh or Aiyer – he played a key role in contributing to the telecom ambition of Rajiv Gandhi.
The group of ‘baba log’ or ‘computer boys’ splintered after the Bofors scandal that surfaced during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as the Prime Minister.
Defence minister VP Singh, outrightly rebelled against Rajiv Gandhi, using Bofors as a base to bring down the massive government, whereas Arun Singh who was minister of state for defence distanced himself from Gandhi by resigning amid the scandal.
Amid the Bofors controversy in 1987, the tensions between Rajiv Gandhi and Arun Nehru had reached a breaking point. Finding himself increasingly sidelined in the power struggle within Congress, the ambitious Nehru criticised Rajiv’s handling of the controversy instead of defending him and left the party to join VP Singh’s Janata Dal. Nehru played a role in Congress’s defeat in the 1989 elections.
When the Bofors scandal played its part in uprooting the strongest government in the history of independent India, Sam Pitroda continued playing a pivotal role in Rajiv Gandhi’s government as a key advisor on technology and telecommunications.
In 1984, he founded the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), which revolutionized India’s telecom sector by developing indigenous technology and enabling the spread of affordable STD/PCO booths. Pitroda, who was named ‘telecom guru’, also spearheaded the introduction of electronic exchanges, laying the groundwork for India’s IT and digital infrastructure.
As the Bofors case was about alleged kickbacks in an arms deal, Pitroda remained loyal to Rajiv Gandhi and continued advising him on technology-driven governance.
Unlike Pitroda, Mani Shankar Aiyar didn’t have the leeway from the party for his remarks. Aiyer, who remained fiercely loyal to Rajiv Gandhi, even after his assassination in 1991, was gradually sidelined by Rahul Gandhi’s Congress for his controversial remark.
In 2014, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Aiyar mocked Narendra Modi’s past as a tea seller, saying: “Narendra Modi can never become Prime Minister, but if he wants, we can arrange for him to sell tea at the AICC (Congress) session.”
The statement was widely criticised as elitist and derogatory. The BJP launched the “Chai Pe Charcha” campaign, connecting with the masses and strengthening Modi’s image as a self-made leader.
Aiyar, just before the Gujarat elections in 2017, referred to Modi as a “neech kisam ka aadmi” (lowly sort of person). The remark triggered a massive political backlash, prompting Rahul Gandhi to suspend him from the party to control the damage.
In the passage of time, nearly all of Rajiv’s loyalists, or a group of ‘computer boys’ parted ways on the back of a power struggle, controversy or scandal. However, only one person still enjoys the unflinching backing of the Gandhi family. Sam Pitroda.
