'Rajiv Gandhi Failed Twice, Became PM': Mani Shankar Aiyar Stirs Fresh Controversy

Last Updated:March 05, 2025, 17:54 IST

In a video, shared by BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya, Mani Shankar Aiyar is heard saying that when Rajiv Gandhi became PM, he and many others had questioned it as he was "an airline pilot, who had failed twice"

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar made the remarks in a video interview, a clip of which was shared by BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya. (Image: PTI/File)

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has once again managed to sting the Congress where it hurts most with another set of controversial remarks about former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s educational qualifications.

In a video, which was shared by BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya, Aiyar is heard saying that when Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister, he and many others had questioned it as he was “an airline pilot, who had failed twice".

While it was not immediately clear when the video was shot, the Congress was quick to dismiss the comments as irrelevant and defend the former PM as one of India’s top leaders. Malviya shared the clip of the video interview on X, and said: “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."

News politics 'Rajiv Gandhi Failed Twice, Became PM': Mani Shankar Aiyar Stirs Fresh Controversy