With phase 1 of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 voting a few days away, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's husband Parakala Prabhakar has sparked a controversy. Parakala Prabhakar during an interview with a news portal called Prime Minister Modi a dictator and warned India that his re-election may change India's map. Not only this, Parakala Prabhakar stated that the Manipur & Ladakh-like situation will be witnessed in the entire India if the BJP wins the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Parakala Prabhakar's remarks came at a time when Union Finance Minister Sitharaman a few months back clarified that she won't be contesting General Elections 2024 as does not have such an amount of money. Now, the question arises who is Parakala Prabhakar, Nirmala Sitharaman's husband?
Who is Parakala Prabhakar?
Parakala Prabhakar is a political economist and social commentator. Parakala Prabhakar, 65, is also a former communications adviser to the government of Andhra Pradesh. Apart from being a commentator, Parakala Prabhakar is also a staunch critic of the BJP government. Despite being the husband of Union Finance Minister, Parakala Prabhakar has slammed Sitharaman multiple times over her policies.
Parakala Prabhakar has his roots with the Congress party. He was Congress students' wing National Student Union's (NSUI) Unit President of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in 1983. As per reports, Parakala fell in love with Nirmala Sitharaman who also landed in the University to pursue her MPhil studies. During those days, he was one of the backroom boys of the powerful Union Minister PV Narasimha Rao.
His father was a Minister for 20 years in Congress Governments in Andhra Pradesh and his mother was a many-time Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Congress. Prabhakar was elevated as the National Vice President of NSUI till he left for London with his wife Nirmala in 1986 to pursue studies in the London School of Economics (LSE). He completed his Doctorate studies and returned back to India in 1991 when his mentor Narasimha Rao became the Prime Minister and was Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Youth Development.
What did Parakala Prabhakar say about PM Modi?
During the interview, Sitharaman's husband Parakala claimed that the constitution and map will change if PM Modi and his cabinet return to power. “Aap isko pehechan bhi nahin sakenge (You would not be able to recognise this [India])", Prabhakar said. Citing statements made by BJP leaders and PM Modi, like ‘isko Pakistan jaane ka hai, jane do’ (If they want to go to Pakistan, let them), Prabhakar cautioned that these hate speeches will now rise from Red Fort in Delhi.