Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, known for his outspoken nature and sharp political commentary, has found himself at the center of controversies that have haunted the party. In his book, A Maverick in Politics, Aiyar details how he was made the scapegoat for Congress’s defeats in the 2014 general elections and the 2017 Gujarat assembly elections. His reflections offer a compelling narrative of political maneuvering, media sensationalism, and a party looking for an easy target.
Aiyar emphatically states that he never referred to Narendra Modi as a “chaiwala” and that the controversy surrounding this alleged remark was baseless. “The whole recording or any part of it is still on YouTube, and you can see I never said that” Aiyar asserts. He explains that it was Modi himself who perpetuated the “humble beginnings” narrative, turning it into a political tool.
Aiyar recalls an instance where Congress leaders reacted without verifying facts. “Imagine a political party not asking its own member what he had said before suspending him,“ he writes. He describes being used as a scapegoat for the party’s impending defeat in 2014, as Congress sought to deflect blame for its lackluster campaign.
The 2017 Gujarat assembly elections brought another controversy. Aiyar’s phrase “neech kisam ka aadmi” (a lowly sort of person) was twisted into “neech jaati ka aadmi” (a man of low caste), igniting a political firestorm. Aiyar laments, “Instead of checking with me, I get a call from Republic TV telling me that Rahul Gandhi had tweeted, asking me to apologize. I was told this by Republic, of all the devils in the world.”
This misrepresentation was weaponized against him, and Aiyar was swiftly suspended from the Congress party. Reflecting on this, he accuses the BJP of “twisting words” and Congress of failing to stand by him.
Aiyar is scathing in his critique of the media, accusing it of prioritizing sensationalism over substance. He argues that the media played a significant role in amplifying these controversies. “So much of our media is obsessed with triviality, so obsessed with sensational headlines,” he says, lamenting the lack of depth in political discourse.
Speaking to Deshbhakt YouTube channel, he says, “I’m the scapegoat because at that time they had been projecting Rahul as winning the Gujarat election and they realized towards the end that it was not going to happen. The end result was if I’m not mistaken, I’ve given the figures here, that we got 77 seats, and they got 99 and we were about 40% and they were about 49% and I can’t remember now the exact numbers. It was a huge margin and, in those circumstances, they wanted a scapegoat, and they found a scapegoat for the 2014 elections in my so-called Chaiwala comment which I never made, and the 2017 defeat in Gujarat on this on these remarks.”
Manishankar Aiyer:
"Congress was projecting Rahul as winning the Gujarat election. When they realised it won't happen, I was made a SCAPEGOAT.
~ They found a scapegoat in me for the 2014 elections and 2017 Gujarat polls."He accepts he was used to HIDE RAHUL GANDHI'S FAILURE 😂 pic.twitter.com/599NFNmzNi
— The Analyzer (News Updates🗞️) (@Indian_Analyzer) December 18, 2024
Aiyar’s criticism isn’t reserved solely for the BJP and the media; he also takes aim at his own party. He recalls how Congress leaders distanced themselves from him, with Rahul Gandhi treating him “as if I was a political leper.” Reflecting on his suspension and isolation, Aiyar reveals the emotional toll it took on him, leading to a severe depression.
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