Gandhi family twice denied opportunity to Pranab to become PM: Modi

BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi today blamed the Gandhi family for twice denying the opportunity to Pranab Mukherjee to be the country's prime minister.

"When Indira Gandhi was assassinated Rajiv Gandhi was in Kolkata and he went back. Under a democracy, that time the senior-most minister in Indira Gandhi's government was Pranab Mukherjee. It would have been good had he been sworn in as the country's prime minister," Modi told a party rally at Brigade Parade grounds here.

"They didn't give it. Not only that, the family (Gandhi) felt that something is going on. So when the Rajiv Gandhi government was formed, senior-most minister Pranabda was not even taken as a minister," he said.

"Again in 2004, Pranabda was the senior-most politician. It was very natural that had madam Sonia Gandhi not wanted to become (the PM), then the opportunity should have been given to Pranabda, but Manmohan Singhji was made (the PM). Pranabda was not given the opportunity," Modi said.

He urged the people of Bengal not to forget this.

"People of Bengal should not forget this. I request you," the Gujarat chief minister said.