BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari and Minister Anil Vij have criticized Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, alleging silence on the Bofors scandal and questioning her past Italian citizenship, sparking a fresh political standoff between the BJP and Congress.
BJP Questions Sonia Gandhi Over Bofors Scandal Following Memoir Release
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. Speaking to ANI in Delhi, Bhandari said the release of the memoir had brought renewed attention to the Bofors scandal and questioned the alleged links between former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi.
“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 said. He further accused Sonia Gandhi of focusing on the Babri Masjid issue in her memoir while failing to address questions surrounding the Bofors controversy. “Sonia Gandhi is more concerned about Babri. The book revolves around the Bofors scandal and Congress’s Babri vote-bank politics. Sonia Gandhi has neither apologised nor abandoned this politics of appeasement,” he alleged.
Contextual Background on the Bofors Controversy
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.
Minister Anil Vij Questions Citizenship Eligibility
Meanwhile, Haryana Power Minister Anil Vij also criticised Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, questioning her eligibility to become Prime Minister and referring to her Italian citizenship. Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh, Vij said, “In our country, we grant citizens of other nations the same rights that our own citizens are accorded in those respective countries. Under Section 84 of the Italian Constitution, no non-Italian citizen can become the Prime Minister or President of Italy.” “Consequently, we could not have appointed her to such a position; it was not a matter of her being willing to take on the role–rather, it was for this specific reason that she could not be appointed,” he added.
Sonia Gandhi’s Reflections on Nationality
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.
Political Exchange Between BJP and Congress
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. Congress leaders have defended the memoir, while BJP leaders have accused Gandhi of attempting to “whitewash” the historical record of Congress and the Nehru-Gandhi family. Earlier in the day, BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan had criticised the memoir, saying it could have been titled ‘Whitewashing’ instead of ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’. Congress leaders Salman Khurshid and Rajeev Shukla, meanwhile, accused the BJP of giving the book a political spin and defended Gandhi’s reflections on the Babri Masjid demolition, citing expressions of regret by former BJP leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)