Saurav Das Lauds Sonia Gandhi's New Memoir Amid Growing Controversy

Saurav Das praises Sonia Gandhi's new memoir as an extraordinary journey. The book, however, faces sharp criticism from BJP leaders regarding political history, while Congress members defend the reflections on key national events.

Saurav Das Welcomes Sonia Gandhi's New Memoir

Saurav Das on Tuesday welcomed the release of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's book 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', describing her journey as extraordinary and praising her as an epitome of strength. Das said he had purchased the book after learning about its release and was looking forward to reading it. “I think many people across the country, including me, were looking forward to reading this book. So, I also bought the book, and I am really looking forward to reading it,” he said.

Das said Sonia Gandhi had endured a lot over the years and had remained a pillar of strength for many people. “Regardless of which ideology you belong to or which political party you are part of, you will remember that Sonia Gandhi ji has played a significant role in this country and in its development,” he said. He also highlighted her leadership of the Congress, describing it as the country's largest principal political party. “Under her leadership, the country's largest principal political party has continued to function. That is why many people were looking forward to reading this book, and I will also read it. Her journey has been quite extraordinary. She has been an epitome of success and strength. I wish her all the luck and good health,” Das added.

Political Controversy Over The Memoir

The remarks come amid a political controversy surrounding Sonia Gandhi's newly released memoir, which touches upon her personal journey, political experiences, the Nehru-Gandhi family and her criticism of the BJP-led government. In her memoir, Sonia Gandhi has accused the BJP of systematically dismantling democratic institutions, suppressing dissent and centralising political and economic power. She has also alleged that the RSS has brought several educational institutions under its ideological influence. Gandhi has criticised the government's 2016 demonetisation decision, the functioning of central investigative agencies and the Election Commission of India (ECI). She has also accused the ruling party of using government agencies to target political opponents.

BJP Criticism and Counter-Claims

The memoir has drawn sharp reactions from BJP leaders. BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan criticised the book, saying it could have been titled 'Whitewashing' instead of 'Belonging: A Journey of Love'. "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 her references to the Babri Masjid demolition, the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre, the Batla House encounter and the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Kesavan asked whether she had expressed similar grief over the deaths of innocent people and security personnel. He also criticised her account of the Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, saying it was "appalling and shocking" to normalise or justify a period during which fundamental rights were suspended.

In Patna, JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha questioned Sonia Gandhi's account of declining the Prime Minister's post in 2004, claiming that Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav had refused to support her. "This is a controversial matter as well. While managing numbers, what we know is that Mulayam Singh Yadav had refused to support her. Otherwise, there was a full attempt to become the PM. But she could not become. It is a different matter what she did or did not do," Jha said.

Congress Defense

Meanwhile, Congress leaders defended the memoir and rejected the BJP's criticism over Sonia Gandhi's reflections on the Babri Masjid demolition. Congress leader Salman Khurshid said there was deep regret across political circles over the demolition, including among BJP leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani. "Advani ji had also said that they did not want this to happen. Atal Bihari Vajpayee had said they didn't want this," Khurshid said. Congress MP Rajeev Shukla also accused the BJP of giving the memoir a political spin, arguing that several BJP leaders had themselves criticised the Babri Masjid's demolition at the time.

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