Sonia Gandhi's memoir attempts to whitewash Congress' Himalayan mistakes, misdeeds: BJP

New Delhi: The BJP on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi over her memoir, alleging that the book appears to be less of an autobiography and more of an attempt to cover up the "Himalayan mistakes and misdeeds" of the Gandhi family.

Speaking to IANS, BJP MP Tarun Chugh said, "Sonia Gandhi's book appears to be less of an autobiography and more of an attempt to cover up the Himalayan mistakes and misdeeds of the Gandhi family. It seems that Maino's Manohar Kahaniyan', written by a ghostwriter, has been presented before the country. By describing the Emergency as merely a mistake, the book has covered up the arrest of lakhs of people, press censorship, the violation of the Constitution, the suppression of democracy and the transformation of the country into a prison. It is silent on the military operation at Sri Harmandir Sahib in 1984, the wounds of which are still fresh."

Meanwhile, BJP Keralam President Rajeev Chandrasekhar criticised Sonia Gandhi over references in her book to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, accusing her of attempting to shift responsibility for the atrocities.

Speaking about the memoir, Chandrasekhar said, "I have not read the book, but I have read a few excerpts on social media. She is trying to blame the Indian Army and General Vaidya for the heinous crimes committed against Sikhs in 1984. Now, Sonia Gandhi wants to whitewash history and give it a new colour. Indians will never fall for this or forget the crimes committed by the Congress party, particularly the 1984 genocide. She should have called the book ‘whitewashing’ rather than whatever else she has called it."

BJP leader Manmeet Singh also questioned the omissions in Sonia Gandhi's memoir, alleging that it failed to mention several controversies and scams associated with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

He said, "Sonia Gandhi calls herself the Super PM. She used Manmohan Singh as a front. Although Manmohan Singh held the post of Prime Minister, everything in the party and the country was run according to Sonia Gandhi's wishes. We want to ask Sonia Gandhi why she has mentioned the good work she did in her book, 'The Belonging', but forgot to mention the scams. She has not mentioned the National Herald, Bofors or 2G scams, or the scams that took place in the country during the UPA government. She should also tell the public about these scams and explain why she is no longer in power..."

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also questioned the nature of the memoir, saying it appeared to be more of a political commentary than a personal account.

"Her book appears to be more of a political satire than a personal memoir. When a personal memoir appears to be political satire, and an individual's account raises political controversies and questions, it naturally gives rise to several questions..." he said.

Meanwhile, reacting to the controversy surrounding the portrayal of former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Sonia Gandhi's book, Janata Dal (United) National Spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan said it reflected the Congress leadership's frustration.

Ranjan said, "In fact, this reflects the Congress leaders' frustration over the objectionable portrayal of Nitish Kumar in Sonia Gandhi's book. Sonia Gandhi suggested that Nitish Kumar was looking for excuses to leave the INDIA bloc and that his proximity to the BJP was the reason behind his decision."

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