BJP Leaders Slam Sonia Gandhi Over New Memoir And Historical Record

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News)

BJP Leaders Attack Sonia Gandhi Over Memoir

BJP leader Tarun Chugh on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress party's legacy, demanding that Sonia Gandhi address her family's actions during critical historical events. Speaking to ANI, Chugh asked Sonia Gandhi to explain Indira Gandhi's stance during the 1975 Emergency, stating that 100,000 people were thrown into prison and freedom of speech was snatched away.

"The history of the Congress is replete with wounds inflicted upon Sikhs and Punjabis, and the suppression of democracy. Sonia Gandhi must tell the nation what Indira Gandhi's stance was when the Emergency was imposed in the country in 1975. When 100,000 people were thrown into prison, when freedom of speech and the Constitution were snatched away, and when elected state governments were either dissolved or had their tenures arbitrarily extended, what was Indira Gandhi's attitude then?" he asked.

Further criticising the Congress party, Chugh said that at least 52 cities were turned into graveyards during the time. "The nation cannot forget who deployed tanks and fired cannons inside the sacred Sri Harmandir Sahib, reducing the site to ruins. The Congress party turned 52 cities across the country into graveyards and burned Sikhs alive. What was your reaction, and that of your husband, at that time?" he questioned, demanding an explaination on the stance of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

BJP Leaders Question Memoir Accuracy

The remarks came after Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, hit the bookstores today. The BJP sharpened its attack on Sonia Gandhi and the Congress party as other prominent BJP leaders echoed similar criticism.

BJP National Spokesperson RP Singh accused Sonia Gandhi of omitting crucial tactical alternatives during Operation Blue Star. "Sonia Gandhi is being selective in her writing. Alternative options could have been considered during Operation Blue Star but were not pursued. Later, during Operation Black Thunder, electricity and water supplies were cut off to force the militants to surrender. Sonia Gandhi's account is therefore selective," he said.

Controversy Over 2004 PM Candidacy

BJP leader Dinesh Pratap Singh, in Raibareli, disputed Gandhi's narrative regarding her famous decision to step aside from the Prime Minister's post in 2004, alleging that constitutional barriers regarding her origin played a central role. Speaking to ANI, he said that Gandhi did write a letter to the then President APJ Abdul Kalam seeking the post of the Prime Minister, but he refused, saying that a woman of foreign origin shall not administer the oath of office.

"The entire country knows why Sonia Gandhi refused the PM post. People of Raebareli know this very well. Sonia Gandhi and AICC had written to the then President that she be administered the oath of office as the PM. The then President, APJ Abdul Kalam, clearly refused to administer the oath of office as Prime Minister to a woman of foreign origin," he said.

He added that after the refusal, the Congress party labelled Sonia Gandhi as "tayg ki devi" (Goddess of sacrifice) and spread the message across the country. "When President Kalam refused to do so, a message was sent across the country that Sonia Gandhi is 'tyag ki devi'. She mentioned in her memoir that she had decided that she would not take the oath as Prime Minister. But the truth is that the then President had deemed her ineligible for the post of PM," he said.

West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh questioned the Congress leadership's connection with everyday citizens compared to the Prime Minister. He asked, "Ever since becoming Prime Minister, PM Modi has consistently visited the border to celebrate Diwali and other festivals with the soldiers. His entire life has been spent among the common people. Have Sonia Gandhi and her family ever met an ordinary person?"

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)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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