An outpouring of mourning from across the aisle at the passing of a political leader is a testament to statesman-like qualities, but with former President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s very personal expressions of grief pointed to a special relationship that the two had forged over the years. A relationship that was encapsulated in Prime Minister Modi’s letter at the time when President Mukherjee demitted office at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Also read: Pranab Mukherjee obituary | The end of a long walk
Mr. Modi wrote: “... three years ago, I came to New Delhi as an outsider. The task before me was huge and challenging. In these times you have always been a father figure and a mentor to me. Your wisdom, guidance and personal warmth have given me greater confidence and strength.”
In pictures | Pranab Mukherjee (1935-2020)
The letter, that Mr. Mukherjee later commenting on social media said, had “touched his heart.” This letter was just one of the several that Prime Minister Modi had written about Mr. Mukherjee’s role as a “mentor and guide” to him. Aides who wish to remain anonymous said that even after Mr. Mukherjee retired from office, Prime Minister Modi would call on him periodically, sometimes the two would meet without anyone present.
Mr. Mukherjee, never one to mince words when push came to shove, was not always amenable to everything that the government did but his views never led to friction between the Prime Minister and the Rashtrapati Bhavan, as had sometimes happened in the past. Whether it was the railroading of legislation via the ordinance route in 2015 with 10 ordinances being cleared or his calls for the “preservation of space for legitimate criticism and dissent” in several of his addresses as President, Mr. Mukherjee made sure his voice was heard.
Reactions to the death of Pranab Mukherjee
It was the Modi government that conferred the nation’s highest civilian honour — the Bharat Ratna — on Mr. Mukherjee. The late Arun Jaitley perhaps best explained the warmth between Prime Minister Modi and Mr. Mukherjee revealing that on many occasions the latter, a stickler for constitutional propriety, had to be satisfied on certain counts before according approval on Bills, occasions on which Jaitley was despatched to hear him out. “He was always well prepared on facts, on constitutional requirements and the need for fairness. These essentials had to be balanced with the requirement of the aid and advise the Council of Ministers. This delicate balance he maintained throughout his tenure,” said Jaitley in a blog in 2017 as Mr. Mukherjee demitted office. This balancing act made his stay in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, despite ideological divergences, a unique camaraderie between Prime Minister Modi and himself.
