The release of Sonia Gandhi’s memoir has sparked a heated political debate, with Congress leaders praising her resilience while BJP critics allege the book is an attempt to whitewash historical controversies.
Sonia Gandhi Memoir Sparks Political Controversy
The release of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, triggered a political war of words on Tuesday, with Congress leaders accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of raising historical controversies for political gains, while the ruling party alleged that the book sought to “whitewash” the wrongs committed by the Nehru-Gandhi family and the Congress.
Responding to Sonia Gandhi’s account of Operation Blue Star in the memoir, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari accused the BJP of “scratching old wounds” ahead of the Punjab elections, saying the mistakes associated with the operation had already been acknowledged and regret expressed. “The Sikh community was hurt and everyone apologised to the community. This is in the past. But as there are going to be elections in Punjab, out of habit BJP is scratching old wounds. They are attempting to benefit from it. The mistake behind Operation Blue Star has already been admitted and regret has been expressed,” Tiwari told ANI in Lucknow.
Congress Leaders Defend the Memoir
Congress MP Jebi Mather, who received a copy of the memoir, described it as a much-awaited account of Sonia Gandhi’s life, highlighting her personal sacrifices, resilience and political journey. “This is a much-awaited moment we all had been waiting for. Sonia Gandhi ji’s life is going to be in pages which we are waiting to read through. This is not an ordinary book; it is about the life story of love, sacrifice, and resilience. It is a window into the era of contemporary India,” she told ANI.
Recalling the personal tragedies Sonia Gandhi experienced, including the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, Mather said she subsequently went on to become the longest-serving Congress president. “As a woman, the pain she has gone through, the endurance, the sacrifices, whether it is the loss of Indira ji, Rajiv ji and how she went through all those tragedies and then she went on to become the longest-serving Congress president. Even when the Prime Ministership was just near her, how she decided to say ‘No’ by listening to her inner voice. So, there are a lot of things,” she said.
Mather further said the memoir would give readers an opportunity to understand Sonia Gandhi’s personal emotions and experiences in her own words. “As Sonia Gandhi herself said, many people have said about her story; now it is her turn to say the real emotions, the personal emotions she has gone through. I had been waiting for this day,” she added.
Responding to the controversy surrounding the book, Mather said Sonia Gandhi had described the developments as a “Tamasha” and asserted that she had the right to share her experiences. “Sonia Gandhi herself has said that by the launch of this book, there is a whole lot of controversy. ‘Tamasha’ is the word she used. So, in her life, she has seen a lot of ‘Tamasha’ and controversy. For somebody as bold as Sonia Gandhi, she has the courage to speak the truth…Let her have the right to say that. For the BJP, everything is an agenda. But citizens of India were waiting to read Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’,” she said.
Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Abhishek Dutt also defended Sonia Gandhi, saying she had maintained dignity while handling difficult situations and strengthened the party during a challenging period. “I believe Sonia Gandhi always maintained great dignity… She handled difficult situations with maturity and strengthened the party during a challenging period. Understanding her feelings and experiences is important, as her journey will inspire people on how to deal with difficult times,” he said.
Congress leader Udit Raj described the memoir as a much-needed account and expressed confidence that it would become a global bestseller. “This book was much needed. It is set to become a global bestseller,” he said.
In Hyderabad, Telangana government advisor and senior Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao also welcomed the memoir, saying Sonia Gandhi continued to uphold the ideals of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi by working for underprivileged sections. “Officially, it was to be released by the whole history along with Rajiv Gandhi. She was, her seeing first time, what is the belonging, the whole life, whatever up and down. But still, she is helping the downtrodden people, people below the poverty line; whatever the ideology of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, she will continue to do,” he said.
Rao said he was happy that Sonia Gandhi had shared her experiences through the book and maintained that she had declined the opportunity to become Prime Minister because she wanted to serve. “As a senior-most leader in the Congress party in Telangana, I am very happy; my leader, whatever her experience, has given her life; she got chances for two terms as a prime minister, but she did not take anything because she wanted to serve; that’s the ideology of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi,” he said. He also urged people to read the memoir to understand Sonia Gandhi’s journey and experiences. “I am very happy after reading this book; everybody should read this book; after that, they will get to know more about her,” he added.
BJP Criticizes the Narrative
Hitting back at the Congress, BJP National Spokesperson CR Kesavan criticised Sonia Gandhi over the memoir, alleging that it attempted to sugarcoat historical wrongs committed by the Nehru-Gandhi family and the Congress party. “Sonia Gandhi could have titled her memoir ‘Whitewashing’, instead of ‘Belonging’ because the motive of this book appears to be sugarcoating the historical wrongs perpetrated by the Nehru-Gandhi family and camouflaging the cardinal sins committed by the Congress party,” Kesavan said.
Questioning references in the memoir to the Babri Masjid, the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre, the Batla House encounter and the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, he asked whether Sonia Gandhi had expressed similar grief over the deaths of innocent people and security personnel. “Sonia Gandhi says she cried for Babri Masjid. Did she shed even a drop of tears when Gurdwaras were attacked and thousands of innocents were brutally targeted and killed during the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre, which happened under Congress rule?” he said.
Publication Details
Published by HarperCollins in India, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’ went on sale on Tuesday. The memoir traces Sonia Gandhi’s journey from her childhood in post-war Italy and her romance with Rajiv Gandhi at Cambridge to her life in India and the personal losses that shaped her bond with the country, including the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. (ANI)
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