Cong leader Priyank Kharge reminisces Time Mag calling Vajpayee a ‘heavy drinker’

Bengaluru : Congress leader and former Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday reminisced late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a “heavy drinker” as published in the 2002 edition of Time magazine.
“It is said that Vajpayee was a heavy drinker. When the evenings fell, he wanted a glass of scotch whisky before him. In 2002, an article was published in Time magazine. A question was posed to him in a mocking tone about his physical and mental fitness to lead a nuclear-armed nation. In his reply, he said there was nothing wrong with drinking whisky. It is legal. So, should we say that all bars should be named after Vajpayee? Ravi should maintain dignity while making any comments,” he said.
The Time magazine had published the article that read: “He (Vajpayee) drank heavily in his prime and still enjoys a nightly whiskey or two at 74 …”
Kharge was reacting to BJP national general secretary CT Ravi’s comments calling Congress leaders drunkards.
Yesterday, Ravi had reacted to the Congress leaders calling him a drunkard. In retaliation, he said that it was the Congress leaders who drank every day and was not a drunkard, but a disciplined RSS worker.
Vajpayee-Kaul relationship
Hitting back further on BJP’s perception of the Nehru-Edwina Mountbatten relationship, Kharge said the Congress does not have the culture to discuss Rajkumari Kaul and Vajpayee’s relationship.
“They (BJP leaders) talk about Edwina Mountbatten and Nehru’s relationship. If that is so, why shouldn’t they speak about the relationship between Mrs Kaul and Vajpayee? Isn’t it? It is said she lived in Vajpayee’s house.
But, we do not have that culture. We respect Vajpayee. A statesman is a statesman. If we speak against Vajpayee, his stature will not shorten. If we speak about Vajpayee, his stature will not be shortened either,” he argued.
There are no secrets about the affair between Edwina, wife of Lord Mountbatten, and the first Prime Minister of Independent India Jawaharlal Nehru. Books have been written on their famous affair.
There is no secret about the relationship between Rajkumari Kaul and Vajpayee. Rajkumari was Vajpayee’s companion for many decades.
The late PM had adopted her daughter Namita Kaul and stayed with the family for many decades, through his rise to being India’s Prime Minister. Rajkumari was a silent force behind Vajpayee. Both knew each other since their college days.