Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], November 11 (ANI): Maharashtra Revenue Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday launched a sharp attack against Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi following the release of her memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love'.
Rebuffing the assertions made in her book, Bawankule accused the Congress leadership of manipulating public perceptions to retain core voter bases.
Bawankule argued that the memoir serves as an exercise in image clearance, particularly regarding Gandhi's detachment from the Emergency period, while simultaneously attempting to consolidate vote banks by invoking sensitive historical events.
Gandhi’s book revisited critical and controversial moments in independent India’s history—including the Emergency, the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, and the 2011 Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement.
"It has been written only with the aim of preparing for the 2029 elections. She has written about Anna Hazare ji’s movement and certain other incidents. I think this is an attempt to clear her own image. Now, she says that she had no role in the Emergency. She is putting the entire blame on the Congress party and late Indira Gandhi ji. She is saying that she had nothing to do with it. They tell the Muslim community that if the Modi government comes to power, they will be sent to Pakistan. They tell people that the Constitution will be changed. They tell Scheduled Tribes that their reservation will be taken away. They create such confusion to get votes. I feel this book is also an attempt to confuse the public once again and get votes in the 2029 elections,” he said.
He added that the opposition's ongoing messaging surrounding minority rights and constitutional changes is part of a deliberate strategy to mislead voters ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. The ruling party has pushed back against her accounts, accusing the veteran leader of attempting to rewrite historical narratives, deflect responsibility for past Congress missteps, and strategically build an electoral narrative for future polls.
"Sonia Gandhi has written that tears came into her eyes after the Babri Masjid was demolished. This is also an attempt to get Muslim votes in preparation for the 2029 elections. This is what the Congress party has been doing...You will see in 2029 that the Congress will perform even worse than its present condition," he said.
Meanwhile, Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar defended Sonia Gandhi's memoir, questioning the BJP leaders' criticism of the book and describing it as an account of her personal experiences and life journey.
He said that people who disagreed with its contents could express their disagreement rather than turn the matter into a political controversy.
"Sonia Gandhi has written a book about her life after years of hard work and personal experiences. I do not understand why BJP leaders are reacting. She is a daughter-in-law of this country, and respecting and caring for a daughter-in-law is part of India's culture and traditions...If you do not like what is written in the book, you can simply disagree with it or remain silent. If you like it, appreciate it. There is no need to turn everything into a political controversy," Prabhakar said.
Telangana Minister Vivek Venkatswamy also criticised the BJP's response to the memoir, alleging that the party routinely targets Sonia Gandhi and the Congress whenever they undertake something positive.
Describing the book as an account of Gandhi's life, he said it offered readers an opportunity to understand her journey, her life with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and her contributions during the UPA-I and UPA-II governments.
"This is part of the BJP's propaganda that whenever something positive is done by Sonia Gandhi or the Congress Party, the BJP has made it a habit to criticise it. This book is about her life story, and people should know about her journey, how her life began with Rajiv Gandhi, and how she contributed during UPA-I and UPA-II to taking the country forward. Instead of criticising her, people should appreciate her contributions. The BJP should learn that whenever someone does something good, it should be appreciated rather than criticised," Venkatswamy said.
The political rift has widened over the release of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, drawing swift praise from party members and sharp scepticism from the BJP. The memoir, published by HarperCollins in India, went on sale on Tuesday.
It traces Sonia Gandhi's journey from her childhood in post-war Italy and her romance with Rajiv Gandhi at Cambridge to her life in India and the personal losses that shaped her bond with the country, including the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. (ANI)
"Written only with aim of preparing for 2029 elections": BJP’s Chandrashekhar Bawankule slams Sonia Gandhi over her memoir
