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The Pranab Mukherjee Chat

Surprisingly, for a mild, soft-spoken politician, the former external affairs minister jousted robustly with his interrogators, until he had some of them on the run.

At the end of the Chat, Mukherjee apologised for being rude, but we are sure no one minded. It was good fun.

pp (Fri Nov 22 20:17:05 1996 IST):

hello!!!

Hey Niki, R U THERE?????

Nikhil, This is Firdaus here, are you log in?

Mr Mukherjee, Welcome to Rediff On The NeT. Thank you for being with us this evening. We do hope you enjoy this experience.

Mr Mukherjee, Welcome to Rediff On The NeT. Thank you for being with us this evening. We do hope you enjoy this experience.

Mr Mukherjee, aapne kamon aachen?

bolbo na, mr mukherjee,ke silence rakho?

bolbo na, mr mukherjee,ke silence rakho?

ki hochi? kothay ashbo

Hey Niki, R U THERE?????

Yes, I am here.

Hello, Is Mr Mukherjee present?

shape of things within Indian politics ondate mog reappears...

I am glad to have this opportunity in this chit-chat. I hope it will be an enjoyable show.

Dr Mukherjee, I am a student of Indian politics, here in the US. I have just heard that Mr Kersi has initiated a purge in the Congress party. Could you please let us know what is going on? Is the Congress president trying to get rid of Mr rao's supporters?

Professor Mukheree, it is a pleasure speaking with you. I teach Indian politics at an American university. What I would like to hear from you is your perspective of the Congress party's future? Is there any way that your party can revive itself from the moribund state it finds itself in today?

I do not think that Mr Kesri is purging the Congress party and trying to get rid of Mr Rao's supporters. After all in Congress organisations changes of Congress office bearers have been changed, shuffling and reshuffling of office teams is the prerogative of Congress president and Mr Kesri has appointed some new office bearers, but he has also retained some old office bearers.

Dr Mukherjee, thank you for answering the question, but don't you think your response is less than honest. How can you evade the issue that there is a purge against Rao supporters? Beneath the facade of unity and the smiles, something politically ' murderous is going on! Please comment.

Dr Mukherjee, thank you for answering the question, but don't you think your response is less than honest. How can you evade the issue that there is a purge against Rao supporters? Beneath the facade of unity and the smiles, something politically ' murderous is going on! Please comment.

Do you think Mr. Kesari's efforts will result is elimination of all congress parties with initials & one united congress will emerge.

Namashkar, Mr Mukherjee. You are seen as a Rao loyalist, how long do you think it will be before you are sidelined?

After 50 years of Independence, our respected leader is telling us that he hopes we enjoy the show on this chit chat. Sir, Mr Mukherjee, do you also share the rapidly growing view that the Congress, projected even now as the party that "got" us our independance (to the exclusion of everybody else as the Congress would have us believe, but we know otherwise), this Congress is just not relevant anymore when the question is food, money, survival, poverty, etc...I trek the jungles of Western Orissa, Chattisgarh, the back of beyonds, and ask you this?

Samuel: Thank you Mr Samuel. I am pleased to have your question. Congress party is an party in its 111 years life there have been ups and downs. And in parliamentary polictics, electoral reforms are not unknown. Therefore, the recent defeat of congress party does not mean that the Congress party has no future. I am quite confident that the party will bounce back and very soon get the support of the peope. After all it is the only national party which has broad national vision and has its presence all over India. In fact I am quite hopefulo its future prospects.

/?

Namoshkar, Pranababu, your missus has stood surety for Shri Rao -- that demonstrates your proximity to Shri Rao. Most people believe Mr Rao, during his five years in office, kept himself alive, but destroyed the Congress party. Else, why would the Congress be in such a pathetic position today. Do you agree? And please, we want CANDOUR, not a Congressi response!.

After 50 years of Independence, our respected leader is telling us that he hopes we enjoy the show on this chit chat. Sir, Mr Mukherjee, do you also share the rapidly growing view that the Congress, projected even now as the party that "got" us our independance (to the exclusion of everybody else as the Congress would have us believe, but we know otherwise), this Congress is just not relevant anymore when the question is food, money, survival, poverty, etc...I trek the jungles of Western Orissa, Chattisgarh, the back of beyonds, and ask you this?

/?

Diwnaji: Thank you. In politics, there are upsx and downs and nobody can claim that political career will always have upward curves. In my own political career, I have been marginalised in past and again I ghave been brought back in the centrestage in political life. So this ups and downs are facts of life.

Killer: Yes Mr Killer, I do think all Congressmen will come together and the unity call given by the Congress Working Committee will be responded.

Thank you, Professor Mukherjee, pardon me for saying this: But your response is less than satisfying. It is obvious to anyone who has studied Indian politics that the Congress's appeal in many parts of India, especially the Hindi heartland, has diminished. That your party had to play a secondary role to the BSP is signal enough. So I think you are not being true to yourself when you say the party has a future. Reviving the Congress needs hard decisions, and a definite agenda. At this moment in time, I see neither. Do you believe the return of old Congressmen will do something to revive your party?

Pranabbabu...

Dr. Mukherjee, Pls answer my question about Mr. Kesri's efforts of uniting congress

Thank you, Mr Mukherjee, for your candour. But more than ups and down is one's contribution. The Congress remains an absolute mess in West Bengal. How come despite people like yourself and Mamta Banerjee, you have not challenged the outdated marxists? How long before the CPI-M is out?

Mr Ayush: I think my anwewr is quite honest. Every leader is entitled to have his own team. And replacement is surely not political matter or assassination.

The Congress has often criticised the UF's economic policies? You did, and recently Dr Manmohan Singh spoke about it? So what is the congress's agenda via-a-vis the economic policies?