The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticised Congress leader Sonia Gandhi following the release of her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love. The party questioned her role during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and accused her of exercising significant political influence despite not holding the position of Prime Minister.
In her memoir, Sonia Gandhi discussed her decision to step aside from the Prime Minister’s post in 2004 and allow Manmohan Singh to become Prime Minister. She explained her decision and reflected on that important period in her political career. However, the BJP has questioned her role in the government after Manmohan Singh took office.
During a press conference, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi criticised Gandhi’s political decisions. He claimed that she had wanted to become Prime Minister after the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government lost power in 1999 but could not secure enough support. These comments were part of the BJP’s response to the statements in her memoir.
Trivedi also questioned Gandhi’s position as chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC) during the UPA government. He pointed out that she held Cabinet rank while leading the council and described the position as an “Office of Profit.” He alleged that she resigned from the post after questions were raised about the position. According to him, she later returned to the role in 2008 after the Manmohan Singh government made changes to the relevant rules.
The BJP also raised concerns about recent remarks made by Uttar Pradesh Congress leader Imran Masood. Trivedi criticised Masood’s comments linking Deepavali with pollution and questioning aspects of Indian culture. He accused the Congress of making remarks about Hinduism to gain political support in Uttar Pradesh. These allegations were part of the BJP’s broader criticism of the Congress party.
Trivedi also targeted the Samajwadi Party over comments made by its leader Sanatan Pandey about actions taken by previous governments in Ayodhya. The BJP questioned the party’s position on the issue and used the remarks to criticise its political approach.
The BJP’s statements highlight the continuing political disagreements between the ruling party and the opposition. The controversy surrounding Sonia Gandhi’s memoir has added another issue to the ongoing debate between the BJP, Congress and other political parties as India approaches key elections.