Congress veteran Mani Shankar Aiyar on Wednesday (February 18, 2026) said he is a "Gandhian", a "Nehruvian" and a "Rajivian", but not a "Rahulian" because Rahul Gandhi "is far too much younger than me and far too distant from me in his political life”.
Mr. Aiyar added that he did not say he is an "Indiravian" because he "totally disapproved" of Indira Gandhi "converting our democracy into a tyranny" by declaring Emergency, albeit for a mere 18 months.
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Referring to his statement on Rahul Gandhi that was recently reported in the media, Mr. Aiyar asked, "How can one expect me to be a 'Rahulian' when the boy is about 30 years younger than me, and I haven't had an opportunity to work with him?" Speaking with PTI, Mr. Aiyar said he recently said that "I am a Gandhian, I am a Nehruvian, I am a Rajivian, but I am not a Rahulian”.
Elaborating on his statement, the former Union Minister said, "I was six-year-old and my brother was four when Mahatma Gandhi picked us up in his arms and said 'ye mere aankhon ke suraj aur chand hain'.
