Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, went on sale in India on Tuesday, 10 November. It has set off a political row. The BJP accused her of trying to whitewash the Emergency and other chapters of Congress rule. Congress leaders said the BJP should read the book instead of shouting about it.
01. Key takeaways
- The memoir, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, was published by HarperCollins India and went on sale on 10 November.
- In it, Sonia Gandhi calls the Emergency of 1975 a mistake and says Indira Gandhi came to the same view.
- BJP spokesperson C. R. Kesavan said the book should have been called ‘Whitewashing’.
- The BJP questioned her accounts of the Babri Masjid demolition, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the Batla House encounter and 26/11.
- Congress leaders, including Salman Khurshid, defended the book and said there was deep regret over Babri.
- JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha questioned her account of turning down the Prime Minister’s post in 2004.
Sonia Gandhi’s memoir went on sale on Tuesday, and a political fight followed within hours.
‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, published by HarperCollins India, traces her life from childhood in post-war Italy and her romance with Rajiv Gandhi at Cambridge to her life in India, including the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
In the book, she calls the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975 a mistake. She says her mother-in-law eventually came to the same conclusion. She also writes that keeping Rajiv Gandhi’s brother, Sanjay Gandhi, in check could have prevented much of the damage caused by the Emergency.
02. The BJP’s attack
BJP national spokesperson C. R. Kesavan said the book could have been titled ‘Whitewashing’ instead of ‘Belonging’. He wrote on X that its motive appeared to be “sugar-coating the historical wrongs perpetrated by the Nehru-Gandhi family”.
Kesavan questioned her references to the Babri Masjid demolition, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the Batla House encounter and the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. BJP leader H. S. Phoolka disputed her account of the 1984 riots, saying the Army was formally called in only on the evening of 1 November and reached affected areas in large numbers on 2 November.
03. Congress hits back
Congress leaders accused the BJP of giving a personal memoir a political angle. Salman Khurshid said the Congress was in government during the Babri Masjid demolition and there was “very deep regret among everyone”. Congress MP Pramod Tiwari also defended the book.
JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha questioned a different claim — Sonia Gandhi’s account of declining the Prime Minister’s post in 2004. He said Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav had refused to support her.
04. Facts
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Book | ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’ by Sonia Gandhi |
| Publisher | HarperCollins India |
| On sale | Tuesday, 10 November 2026 |
| Emergency | Book calls the 1975 Emergency a mistake |
| BJP charge | C. R. Kesavan: book should have been called ‘Whitewashing’ |
| Congress reply | Read the book, do not shout; deep regret over Babri |
| Disputed claims | 2004 PM post, 1984 riots, Operation Blue Star |
05. FAQs
What is the book called?
‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, by Sonia Gandhi.
What does she say about the Emergency?
She calls it a mistake and says Indira Gandhi came to the same view.
Why is the BJP unhappy?
It says the book whitewashes the Emergency, the 1984 riots and other chapters of Congress rule.
Also read: Trump Names Stephen Miller as White House Chief of Staff and Sheikh Hasina Seeks New Passport in Clearest Sign of Bangladesh Return.
Sources: The Telegraph, NDTV, The New Indian Express, The Statesman.
