We are a democratic, argumentative family: Sharmistha

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Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee today said theirs was a "democratic, argumentative family" and she had no problem expressing differences with her father, former president Pranab Mukherjee, in public.

It is a lesson she learnt from her father, Sharmistha Mukherjee, who has publicly opposed the former president visiting the RSS headquarters and delivering a speech there, said in response to BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's reported comments backing her.

"This is something you must grow up to. My own daughter doesn't agree with my views and I don't agree with hers. But we are a happy family. We must learn that individuals have opinions," Swamy was reported as saying.

"Exactly! That's how I grew up, & that's why I don't have any problem expressing my differences with him on issues even in public. We are a democratic, argumentative family; & I learnt this from my father only," Sharmistha Mukherjee replied on Twitter.

Late last night, she said her her fears had been affirmed after a morphed picture showing the former president raising his hand in salutation, like RSS leaders and cadres, appeared on social media.

"See, this is exactly what I was fearing & warned my father about. Not even few hours have passed, but BJP/RSS dirty tricks dept is at work in full swing!" she tweeted.

Sharmistha Mukherjee, who heads the Mahila Congress and the media department of the Delhi Congress, had cautioned her father that his speech would be forgotten but the visuals would remain, giving the BJP/RSS a "full handle" to plant false stories and spread rumours.

"Hope @CitiznMukherjee now realises from todays' incident, how BJP dirty tricks dept operates. Even RSS wouldn't believe that u r going 2 endorse its views in ur speech. But the speech will be forgotten, visuals will remain & those will be circulated with fake statements," she said.

Warning that hatred and intolerance diluted national identity, the former president yesterday spoke from the RSS platform to declare that nationalism was not bound by race or religion and called for dialogue to reconcile differences.