Sonia Gandhi Memoir Details Rift With Maneka Gandhi

In her memoir 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', Sonia Gandhi details the domestic and political collapse of the relationship between the Gandhi family and Maneka Gandhi. The narrative traces tensions back to 1974, citing Maneka's influence on Sanjay Gandhi and her use of expletives, which Sonia claims strained the bond between Sanjay and his brother, Rajiv Gandhi.

Following Sanjay Gandhi's death in 1980, the rift deepened when Indira Gandhi denied Maneka a leadership role in the Congress party, citing her youth and the needs of her infant son. Maneka subsequently aligned with political dissidents and the RSS, participating in a rally in Lucknow. This prompted Indira Gandhi to demand that Maneka either cease her disloyal activities or leave the family residence. Indira Gandhi was on an official trip to London when she learned Maneka was moving her belongings out of the house.

The separation triggered a bitter legal battle over visitation rights for Maneka's son, Feroze Varun Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi describes a pattern of broken commitments regarding the child's visits and recounts an incident in 1984 where Maneka accused her of attempting to kidnap the child after Sonia delivered gifts to his nursery school.