Congress MP Imran Masood defends Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, dismissing Bofors allegations against Rajiv Gandhi and challenging the BJP over the Kashmiri Pandit exodus, sparking a fresh political debate following the book’s release.
Congress MP Defends Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir Amidst Political Strife
Congress MP Imran Masood on Wednesday defended Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, alleging that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was falsely implicated in the Bofors case and questioning the BJP over the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. “Rajiv Gandhi was falsely implicated in the Bofors case, and the BJP must answer for the Kashmiri Pandit exodus, when Jagmohan was Governor and the BJP-backed government was in power,” Masood told ANI.
BJP Challenges Congress Leadership Over Bofors
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Tuesday questioned Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi over the Bofors scandal following the release of her memoir ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, alleging that Congress leadership had remained silent on the controversy and accusing her of pursuing “appeasement politics” over the Babri Masjid issue. “After the release of Sonia Gandhi’s book, questions have resurfaced about the Bofors scandal, which both Congress party and Sonia Gandhi have remained silent about. People want to know what the relationship was between Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Ottavio Quattrocchi that led to the scandal,” Bhandari told ANI.
Historical Context of the Bofors Scandal
The Bofors scandal was a major political controversy that emerged in the late 1980s over allegations of kickbacks in a defence deal between the Indian government and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors. In March 1986, the government led by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi signed a contract worth approximately USD 1.4 billion for the purchase of 155 mm Howitzer field guns for the Indian Army. In April 1987, Swedish Radio reported that bribes had allegedly been paid to Indian politicians, officials and middlemen to secure the contract.
The controversy significantly affected Congress party’s political fortunes and became a major issue during the 1989 general elections, which saw the party lose power. The long-running legal proceedings continued for decades, with the Supreme Court dismissing the remaining appeals in the case in August 2026, bringing the litigation to an end without a criminal conviction.
Sonia Gandhi’s Reflections on Identity and Citizenship
In her memoir, Sonia Gandhi has discussed her decision to give up Italian citizenship and adopt Indian citizenship. She described her Italian passport as a part of her identity that she had brought with her to India. Gandhi wrote that although she initially retained her Italian passport to facilitate visits to her parents, her visits to Italy gradually became less frequent and she no longer related to the way of life there. She also recalled the emotional experience of formally renouncing her Italian nationality, describing it as letting go of the last remaining part of her identity from her country of birth.
The memoir has triggered a political exchange between the BJP and Congress, particularly over Gandhi’s references to the Babri Masjid demolition and other contentious episodes in India’s political history. (ANI)
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