Mon Dec 30 03:40:00 UTC 2024: ## Congress Needs Introspection, Says Pranab Mukherjee’s Daughter

**New Delhi, December 29, 2024** – Sharmistha Mukherjee, daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee, has leveled harsh criticism against the Indian National Congress, alleging a deep-seated decay within the party and a lack of ideology among its top leadership. In statements made on Sunday, Ms. Mukherjee expressed her alienation from the party, citing the lack of a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting following her father’s death as a prime example of the party’s failings.

Ms. Mukherjee questioned the absence of a CWC meeting, the party’s highest decision-making body, after her father’s passing, noting that such a meeting was held after the death of former President K.R. Narayanan. She stated that the lack of a meeting could be attributed to either deliberate neglect or sheer negligence. She also criticized the party’s social media tactics, highlighting the online trolling she and her father faced, and suggesting this behavior points to a broader internal rot.

Further emphasizing the party’s issues, Ms. Mukherjee lamented the alienation felt by many veteran Congress workers due to the current leadership and its perceived lack of a clear ideology. She drew a parallel to the treatment of former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, suggesting a pattern of mistreating non-dynastic leaders.

While having withdrawn from active politics, Ms. Mukherjee advocated for a memorial to be built in honor of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away on December 26th, and urged the posthumous conferral of the Bharat Ratna on him. She declined further comment on the controversy surrounding the proposed memorial, stating her disassociation from the party.

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