New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has put the party in a tight spot with his remarks on former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's educational background. A video of Aiyar stating that Rajiv had failed at both the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London is widely circulating on social media.

The widely circulated clip is from an interview given to a YouTube channel. "When Rajiv became (PM), then people thought, or rather I thought, how can an airline pilot, who has failed twice; I studied with him in Cambridge, there he failed once. It is really difficult to fail in Cambridge, it is easy to get first class. But failing is really difficult, because the university wants to protect its image, they try to at least pass everyone." 

"Then he (Rajiv Gandhi) went to Imperial College of London, then he failed there again. Then I thought, How can such a person become the Prime Minister," Aiyar added.

BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya and others shared the video on 'X, with a caption, "Rajiv Gandhi struggled academically, even failing at Cambridge, where passing is relatively easy. He then moved to Imperial College London but failed there as well. Many questioned how someone with his academic record could become the Prime Minister. Let the veil be stripped."

Meanwhile, Congress leader Ajay Singh Yadav dismissed Aiyar's remarks, stating, "Mani Shankar Aiyar holds no significance in the party. He does not hold any crucial position. Therefore, there is no need to pay much attention to his comments."

(With PTI inputs)