Other critics - including the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party - said that Mr Mukherjee's remarks were particularly poorly timed, as the 23-year-old rape victim remains on life support in a Singapore hospital.
MrMukherjee, then, as now, finance minister, is said to have been consulted on who should replace Mrs Gandhi as prime minister, and to have suggested that it should be the second-most senior cabinet minister, that is, himself.