Rahul lacks "aptitude" to master a subject: Obama in memoir
What's the story
Former US President Barack Obama, in his new memoir A Promised Land, mentioned Congress ex-President Rahul Gandhi, writing that he seemed "eager to impress" but lacked the "aptitude or passion" to master a subject.
In sharp contrast, Obama was kinder toward another Congress leader — former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh — saying he has a "kind of impassive integrity."
Here's more on this.
Sketches
According to NYT, Obama drew insightful sketches of world leaders
The New York Times reviewed the book, mentioning that the political memoir has biographical sketches of various world leaders.
"There are his biographical sketches, masterful in their brevity and insight and humor," said the review.
Obama wrote about Russia's President Vladimir Putin, former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates, and US President-elect Joe Biden, who was the Vice President in Obama's tenure, said NYT.
Dr. Singh
He seemed impressed by Dr. Singh
Obama is reported to have mentioned Gates and Dr. Singh in the same sentence, appreciating them for their impassive integrity.
The latter was Obama's first state guest at the White House.
Putin, Obama said, reminded him of "tough, street-smart ward bosses who used to run the Chicago machine." He also wrote the Russian leader was "unremarkable, physically."
Obama called Biden a decent, honest, loyal man.
Quote
Gandhi eager to impress, but lacks passion: Obama
About Gandhi, the ex-US President wrote, "[He] has a nervous, unformed quality about him, as if he were a student who'd done the coursework and was eager to impress the teacher but deep down lacked either the aptitude or the passion to master the subject."
Reaction
Unsurprisingly, Gandhi was criticized, joked about, after book's review surfaced
After Obama's assessment of Gandhi became public, Indian Twitter was abuzz. There were some who opined the Congress leader has turned into a "national embarrassment," and there were others who felt Obama was just "stating the obvious."
A sarcastic trend asking Obama to apologize also dominated Twitter.
To note, Gandhi, had in 2017, called his meeting with Obama fruitful.
PM Modi
It's unclear if Obama wrote about PM Modi as well
The review didn't say if Obama mentioned PM Narendra Modi in the book. The BJP leader and the Democrat have met several times; the latter was the Chief Guest for Republic Day celebrations in 2015.
At the time, he had also co-hosted the Mann Ki Baat radio program with PM Modi.
The 768-page memoir is expected to hit stands on November 17.