Pranab Mukherjee's daughter anguished over RSS visit

As speculation swirled over her joining the BJP, Delhi Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee on Wednesday expressed anguish over her father and former President Pranab Mukherjee attending an event organised by the RSS in Nagpur.

"By going to Nagpur, you are giving BJP/RSS full handle to plant false stories, spread falls rumours as today & making it somewhat believable. And this is just the beginning,” Sharmistha, the President of the Delhi unit of Mahila Congress, said on Twitter.

Sharmistha also tagged her father Pranab in the tweet. The former president is in Nagpur to address the valedictory function of the 'Sangh Shiksha Varg' on Thursday.

A section of the media reported that the former president wanted his daughter to contest the next Lok Sabha elections from Malda in West Bengal as a BJP candidate.

“I joined politics because I believe in the Congress; would rather leave politics than leave the Congress,” Sharmistha said. She added that the reports of her “supposedly” joining the BJP had hit her like a “torpedo”.

“Hope Pranab Mukherjee now realises from today's incident, how BJP dirty tricks department operates. Even the RSS wouldn’t believe that you are going to endorse its views in your speech. But the speech will be forgotten, visuals will remain & those will be circulated with fake statements,” Sharmishta said.

The former president's decision to attend the RSS function has kicked off a controversy with several Congress leaders writing to him strongly disapproving of the action.

Mukherjee, on his part, had told his detractors to await his speech in Nagpur.

“Whatever I have to say, I will say in Nagpur. I have received several letters and phone calls, but I haven’t responded to anyone yet,” Mukherjee was quoted as saying by Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika.