Sonia Gandhi's memoir sparks political row as BJP calls her 'super PM'; Congress hits back

Sonia Gandhi's newly released memoir has turned into a fresh flashpoint between the BJP and the Congress, with the ruling party on Wednesday questioning her account of declining the prime ministership in 2004 and the opposition party dismissing the criticism.

What the book says

The 544-page book, titled 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' and published by HarperCollins India, was released on Tuesday, November 10, after months of delay. In it, the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson describes how she moved from rejecting the top post to briefly considering it and finally refusing it after the 2004 Lok Sabha election, and why she picked Manmohan Singh, whom she credits with unquestionable integrity.

She writes that she ran the party while Singh ran the government, and denies ever seeing official files or interfering in administration. The book also calls the 1975 Emergency a mistake, says Sanjay Gandhi pushed for it while Rajiv Gandhi argued for waiting for an election, and describes the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition as a turning point. On Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she writes that she has had "practically no real contact" with him during his 12 years in office.

BJP's criticism

At a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday, party spokesperson and MP Sudhanshu Trivedi mocked her 2004 decision as a "super sacrifice" that made her a "super PM". He pointed to her role as chairperson of the National Advisory Council, a post with Cabinet rank, and recalled the office-of-profit controversy that led to her resignation at the time and a subsequent change in the law.

Trivedi also disputed her claim that Rajiv Gandhi had opposed the Emergency, saying he had backed it on several occasions, and questioned her placing the blame on Sanjay Gandhi. He described the book's account of her strained ties with Maneka Gandhi as a story of family animosity rather than history.

Congress response

Congress leader Rashid Alvi rejected the remarks, saying the Constitution has no post called a super prime minister. He argued instead that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat wields more influence over the government than any such figure. Alvi said he was present when she told party MPs in 2004 that she did not want the job, and that many MPs urged her to reconsider before she proposed Singh's name.

The memoir is one of the most closely watched political books in recent years, coming from a leader who has rarely spoken at length about her years at the centre of power. With both parties already sparring over its contents, the book has quickly become a talking point well beyond the Congress.