PDP president Mehbooba Mufti praised Sonia Gandhi's memoir, commending her resilience. She also staunchly defended Jawaharlal Nehru's legacy, accusing the BJP of having a narrow mindset while navigating the political controversy surrounding the book.
Mehbooba Mufti Appreciates Sonia Gandhi's Memoir
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday praised Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi's memoir 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', saying that no woman politician had endured as much as she had, while also defending the legacy of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and criticising the BJP's ideological approach. Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Mufti said she had witnessed Sonia Gandhi's evolution as a political leader and stateswoman and admired her strength in dealing with personal tragedies, including the assassinations of her mother-in-law, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and husband Rajiv Gandhi.
"I have seen Sonia Gandhi evolving into a leader and then into a stateswoman. She has gone through a lot. I mean, in my opinion, no woman politician has endured as much as she has. And the way she carried herself, especially when, you know, the trauma her children faced when their grandmother and then father Rajiv ji was killed... I mean, that must have been very emotionally taxing on her," Mufti said. "But still, to come up with such a beautiful book, with so many, you know, happy memories--of course, there are sad occasions also in it. I think it's something, you know, really I admire in her. She has the capacity, she has the, you know... she has the strength to bear it all," she added.
Defense of Jawaharlal Nehru's Legacy
Mufti also criticised the BJP over its remarks on Nehru, highlighting his contribution to nation-building and the establishment of institutions after Independence. "And the way the BJP people--the way they are talking about Jawaharlal Nehru--what would they understand about Jawaharlal Nehru? Jawaharlal Nehru was the person, was the Prime Minister who, at a time when the whole country... before Independence, he went to jail; his daughter went to jail. After that, that family gave two Prime Ministers who sacrificed their lives for this country. That is Jawaharlal Nehru's legacy," she said.
She further credited Nehru with steering the country through the communal tensions surrounding Partition and establishing institutions, industries and basic infrastructure. "He steered this nation at a time when Hindus and Muslims were thirsty for each other's blood. And this country had virtually nothing. Education was hardly even 15 to 20 per cent. After that, he gave institutions here, gave ISRO, through which they are launching satellites and other things into space today. He built this nation, gave it industries, gave it basic infrastructure, which today they are handing over entirely to Adani," Mufti said. "In my view, the BJP cannot understand Jawaharlal Nehru because their mentality, their mindset, is very narrow. Their mindset is only about pitting Hindus and Muslims against each other," Mufti alleged.
Ideological Reflections in the Memoir
Mufti further described the memoir as a reflection of the ideological differences between the Congress and the BJP, saying Sonia Gandhi associated herself with Mahatma Gandhi, secularism and democracy. "I feel that this book--I haven't heard much about it yet, though I have read a little bit--it’s a beautiful book, and it tells you the truth: that the BJP's ideology is the ideology of the RSS, Jan Sangh, and Godse, whereas Sonia Gandhi associates herself with Gandhi ji, secularism, and democracy. So, I think it must be a very interesting book," she said.
Asked about the title ‘Belonging’, given that Gandhi has long been accused of having an Italian mindset, Mufti said, "In my opinion, she... as I said earlier, the way she evolved as a leader, as a stateswoman... in the BJP, you don't even have a single... leave alone a statesman, you don't even have a true leader. They are just RSS pracharaks. They are rioters, considering what they are doing right now and the riot-like atmosphere they have created." "She (Sonia Gandhi) was always called an outsider, but the amount she has sacrificed for this country--her husband's sacrifice, and before that, her mother-in-law's sacrifice... I think in the history of India, no other family has fought as much for freedom, nor made as many sacrifices for the integrity of this nation, as this family has," Mufti added.
Political Controversy and Reactions
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 and Other Reactions
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.
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. (ANI)
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