Gandhi's great grandson backs AAP's Vishwas, asks Rahul to stop misusing Bapu's surname

LUCKNOW: Accusing Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi of misusing name of father of the nation, great grandson of Mahatama Gandhi, Shrikrishna Kulkarni on Tuesday said that dynastic politics in the country including in Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu has severely hurt the soul of India's Constitution and will lead the country towards destruction. Kulkarni is on a four-day visit to Amethi to campaign in favour of Aam Aadmi Party candidate Kumar Vishwas who has challenged Rahul in his bastion.

A Bangalore-based robotics engineer and entrepreneur, Kulkarni arrived in Amethi on Monday night and on Tuesday along with AAP volunteers washed a statue of the Mahatma and cleaned the platform on which it has been installed at Chowk area of Amethi. The old statue was lying neglected for long. He, however, stopped AAP volunteers from pouring milk on the statue saying that Bapu never wanted to be treated like God. "If you are a true follower of Gandhi, clean the social and political environment of the country," he said.

Son of Sumitra, daughter of Mahatma's son Ramdas Gandhi, Kulkarni later told Times Of India on phone that he has was not invited by anyone and has come specifically to campaign for Kumar Vishwas who like me is a self made man. "I only got sanskars and ashirvad (values and blessings) of forefathers but never used dynasty for personal gain as done by Rahul. I admire courage of Vishwas who is fighting against corruption, divisive and dynastic rule, hence I am here to support him in the most difficult constituency in the country", he said.

Kulkarni, who recently wrote an open letter to Rahul asking him to stop taking Mahatma Gandhi's name for electoral gains, said that Nehru-Gandhi family has been misusing the surname of the father of the nation. "Many in India, particularly in rural areas, think that Nehru-Gandhi family is related to Bapu," he said He also that "Evils of the dynastic rule has ruined the soul of the Constitution. It must be banned." When asked who is his view is better between BJP's Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, he said that he will chose the former as he is a self-made man.

Raj Mohan Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election against Rajiv Gandhi in Amethi as a Janta Dal nominee in 1989, will campaign for Vishwas next week. Rajmonah Gandhi is also contesting Lok Sabha election on AAP ticket from East Delhi constituency.