New Delhi [India], November 10 (ANI): Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi over her memoir ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, alleging that she had “no love for India” and accusing her of selectively expressing concern over incidents involving different communities.
Reacting to the memoir, Singh said Sonia Gandhi’s account had exposed her “true face” and alleged that Congress leaders expressed grief over incidents such as the Babri Masjid demolition and the Batla House encounter but remained silent on other tragedies.
“Yes, it is a good thing that she had this book written and expressed what was truly in her heart. Her true faces have been revealed. Tears only well up in their eyes when incidents like the Babri [Masjid demolition] or the Batla House [encounter] occur—but when an incident like Godhra happens, her tears dry up. In Pahalgam, Hindu Sanatani brothers and sisters were targeted and shot—after being asked specifically whether they were Hindu—by Pakistani terrorists. Why don’t she shed tears then?” he told ANI.
Referring to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s reported remarks on minorities and national resources, the Union Minister alleged that the Congress’s concerns were driven by vote-bank politics.
“This reveals their true faces. After all, it was under the leadership of Manmohan Singh that it was stated that Muslims have the first claim on the nation’s resources. Her tears flow only for that cause—and for no one else,” he said.
Singh also criticised Sonia Gandhi’s remarks concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Questioning the memoir’s account, he said Sonia Gandhi should have written about what he described as Nehru’s historical mistakes, including India’s handling of Tibet, China’s entry into the United Nations Security Council, and the introduction of Articles 370 and 35A.
“Perhaps Sonia-ji should have written about Pandit Nehru’s ‘achievements’ like how he handed Tibet over to China, how he facilitated China’s entry as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, or how he introduced Articles 370 and 35A. She should have mentioned all of this—including how he surrendered 40,000 square kilometers of land to China, dismissing it by saying, ‘Nothing grows there anyway’,” Singh said.
“The sins committed by the Congress, by Nehru-ji, are things the nation is still suffering for to this day,” he added.
Responding to Sonia Gandhi’s reported observation that Prime Minister Modi was unable to look people in the eye, Singh defended the Prime Minister, saying he confronted India’s adversaries directly.
“The Prime Minister looks the country’s enemies straight in the eye when he speaks to them. It does not matter how powerful they might be—whether it is China, Pakistan, or any other nation in the world,” he said.
Taking a swipe at Sonia Gandhi, he added, “And just how many times does Sonia-ji expect someone to look her in the eye? Once is more than enough!”
On Sonia Gandhi’s account of the formation of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2004, when she said she stepped aside from the Prime Minister’s post and chose Manmohan Singh after listening to her conscience, the Union Minister dismissed her account as “lies”.
“She is merely peddling lies. When the time came to become Prime Minister, she had already made all the preparations; she was only held back by technicalities. There were various allegations against her,” Singh alleged.
He further claimed that Sonia Gandhi had remained without Indian citizenship for 12 years and acquired it only when she became certain that Rajiv Gandhi and his family could secure the Prime Minister’s position.
“She lived as an illegal citizen for twelve years. It was only when she became certain that Rajiv Gandhi—and her family—could secure the position of Prime Minister that she finally acquired citizenship,” he alleged.
Referring to the controversy over Sonia Gandhi retaining her Italian passport, Singh questioned her explanation that she had kept it because it belonged to her.
“‘It belonged to me.’ ‘The citizenship also belonged to me.’ She is only exposing herself. Who is she trying to fool? From the youth in India’s villages to those in the cities—people are intelligent,” he said.
The Union Minister further alleged that Sonia Gandhi had no regard for followers of the Sanatana tradition and accused her of pursuing a political strategy centred on caste divisions and Muslim votes.
“But Sonia-ji’s true face has been revealed—the reality that she has no love for India. She has no love for the followers of the Sanatana tradition in India. She does have love, though. She has love for the invaders—and for the Muslim ‘vote bank’ in this country. Her strategy is: divide the Hindus along caste lines, and secure the Muslim vote,” Singh alleged.
When asked to rate the memoir on a scale of one to 10, Singh responded sarcastically, saying, “I’d give it two or four hundred points, because she has exposed her own true face and revealed her actual mindset. As for the teary-eyed, soulful gazes—people were already well aware of that; it would have been better if she had just kept that hidden.”
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rajeev Shukla defended the memoir, saying Sonia Gandhi had expressed her personal thoughts and experiences and that her account should not be made a subject of political controversy. Shukla said he had visited to purchase a copy of the book and noted the crowd gathered to buy it.
“I actually came here to buy Sonia-ji’s book. There is quite a crowd, and many people are purchasing it. As for the book itself—she is perhaps the first person in the family, after Nehru-ji, to write an autobiography. She has laid out her thoughts and reflected on her life’s journey,” he said.
He said people should respect her views and the emotions expressed in the memoir, adding that openness and candour were essential features of an autobiography.
“I believe people should respect her views and value the emotions she has expressed; this should not be a matter of controversy. It shouldn’t be turned into one. She has written about what she felt, which is a very good thing. That is the hallmark of a good autobiography—to be open and candid about everything. She has done exactly that. People should recognise that these are her personal reflections,” Shukla said.
Published by HarperCollins in India, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’ went on sale on Tuesday. The memoir 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)
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