Sonia Gandhi's memoir, "A Journey of Love," contains a commentary on former President Pranab Mukherjee's ambitions for the prime ministership. Her daughter, Sharmistha Mukherjee, has now responded to this.

Sharmistha Mukherjee, Pranab Mukherjee and Sonia Gandhi (File photo)

Sharmistha Mukherjee, daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee, on Tuesday defended her father's ambition to become Prime Minister. Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in her memoir "Belonging - A Journey of Love," wrote about Pranab Mukherjee, who never gave up his desire for the top post.

Sharmistha Mukherjee responded to Sonia's claim in the book, citing a 2010 conversation, saying why should her father's wish be surprising? She explained that decades of experience in politics and governance, hard work, and intellectual ability were behind this wish. Sharmistha responded through a social media post.

Sharmistha said, "What's so surprising about this? Is it a crime to be ambitious? Especially when that ambition is backed by decades of experience in politics and governance, hard work, and a brilliant mind? Once, when I asked him if he wanted to become Prime Minister, he replied very frankly that every capable politician has such ambitions. He said that his father came from a humble background. Whatever he achieved in his life was due to his ability and hard work. He didn't get any position easily through nepotism or inheritance, especially not on a platter."

Sonia Gandhi may have been shocked: Sharmistha.

Sharmistha further wrote that if a capable person aspires to become Prime Minister, what's wrong with that? Except that Sonia Gandhi might be shocked that someone outside the Gandhi-Nehru family could even dare to harbor such ambitions. More importantly, how could anyone even dare to hint at it in front of her?