"It is wrong to say that Lal Bahadur Shastri was ever ambitious to become the Prime Minister of India after Jawaharlal Nehru. He never hankered after power. I dispute Nayar's claim in the book that my father had told him that he was not that much of a sadhu and that who would not like to be India's Prime Minister," Anil Shastri said.
In his soon-to-be released autobiography "Beyond the Lines" being brought out by Roli Books, Nayar has quoted Lal Bahadur Shastri as telling him "I am not that much of a sadhu as you imagine me to be. Who does not like to be India's Prime Minister"? when the journalist told him that people think that Shastri was such a staunch devotee of Nehru that he would himself propose Indira Gandhi's name after Nehru's death.
Anil Shastri said the excerpts from the book suggest that his father did not want Indira to become Prime Minister while the fact is that "he was the first to meet her and suggest her name for Prime Ministership".
"Lal Bahadur Shastri considered himself as protege of Jawaharlal Nehru. He held Indira in high regard and esteem. In fact, once Indira Gandhi wrote that it was because of him (his father) that she came into politics," he said.
Narrating the sequence of events after Nehru's death, he said "Lal Bahadur Shasti was the first leader to propose to Indira Gandhi to take over the reins of the country, which she politely declined. She said she was not mentally prepared to take such a huge responsibility and suggested that the party should arrive at a consensus and select a name most acceptable to the party and the people".
