Author: TNN
Publication: The Times of India
Date: July 30, 2017
URL:   http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/not-in-gandhijis-name-gopalkrishna-gandhis-nephew-protests-against-vice-presidential-candidature/articleshow/59831314.cms

Opposition vice-presidential candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi's nephew Shrikrishna (Krish) Kulkarni has written an open letter vehemently protesting against his uncle's nomination, which he believes is an endorsement of the Nehru-Gandhi family's policy of dynastic succession.

In the strongly worded letter, Kulkarni attacks the Nehru-Gandhi family for practicing dynastic politics and expresses his dismay at Gopalkrishna's willingness to become the Congress-led Opposition's vice-presidential candidate.

"The present day Gandhi family, as the progeny of Nehru are popularly known have re-institutionalised dynastic succession. Their advent has systematically eroded the political landscape of India - the soul of India was slowly being ripped out. The present president of the Congress Party has been in position for 18 years since 1998. Her son is in line for succession," Kulkarni wrote in the letter posted on his Facebook profile on July 24.

"And of all the people in this nation, you choose to offer yourself to be their candidate. I saw with dismay images of you filing nomination flanked by family of dynastic politics. In that one instant you tore apart the principles you espouse - those of Mahatma Gandhi or Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, both of who were fearless and selfless leaders and who were dead against entitlements of birth," Kulkarni said.

Questioning Gopalkrishna's silence over the many scandals that have tainted the Gandhi family and the scams that took place under the erstwhile Congress-led UPA regime, Kulkarni said, "So many scandals over so many years, and not a single comment from you. Do you really believe all these are political vendetta? But you still went ahead and have endorsed them."

Gopalkrishna Gandhi was picked by 18 opposition parties to be their vice-presidential nominee and on July 18, he'd filed his nomination for vice president. While Gopalkrishna is the grandson of M K Gandhi, Srikrishna Kulkarni is the freedom fighter's great grandson.

Kulkarni says it is his duty to protest against Gopalkrishna's decision, which he considers a betrayal of confidence.
"But as one small member of Gandhiji's large family, I must register my protest. And therefore I say - NOT IN GANDHIJI'S NAME! I am sorry Gopu mama, but this decision of yours doesn't build confidence, at least not in me. Rather it is confidence betrayal," he said.

A Bangalore-based robotics engineer and entrepreneur, Kulkarni is the son of Sumitra, daughter of the Mahatma's son Ramdas Gandhi. This isn't the first time he has salvoed against the Nehru-Gandhi family. In 2014, he wrote an open letter to Rahul Gandhi, asking him to stop taking Mahatma Gandhi's name for electoral gains.