Sonia Gandhi Memoir Sparks Political Row Over Operation Blue Star
Sonia Gandhi's memoir triggers a political dispute in India as the BJP and AAP challenge her accounts of Operation Blue Star and her refusal of the premiership.
The release of the memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love by Sonia Gandhi has ignited a political conflict in India, centering on the legacy of the Congress party and the 1984 military operation at the Golden Temple. In the book, Gandhi describes former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as being filled with "tears of pain and regret" while viewing footage of the aftermath of Operation Blue Star.
The Aam Aadmi Party dismissed these claims as hearsay and a political statement tailored to the current climate. Simultaneously, the Bharatiya Janata Party launched a series of attacks, with leaders accusing the Congress party of a recurring pattern of abusing power. BJP National Spokesperson RP Singh claimed Gandhi was selective in her writing, while other party members alleged she controlled the government via remote control during the United Progressive Alliance era.
Further disputes emerged regarding Gandhi's 2004 decision to decline the Prime Minister's post. BJP leader Dinesh Pratap Singh alleged that then-President APJ Abdul Kalam refused to administer the oath due to Gandhi's foreign origin. Union Minister Giriraj Singh added that the memoir reveals Gandhi's "true face," claiming she lacks love for India and the Sanatana tradition.
Congress leader Rajeev Shukla defended the memoir as a candid reflection of personal experiences, arguing that the autobiography should not be treated as a political controversy.
