Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has described her relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as distant, saying they have had “practically no real contact” despite meeting at several official gatherings.
In her 544-page memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, Gandhi reflects on her political relationship with PM Modi, whom she describes as her biggest political adversary. HarperCollins India published the book on Tuesday.
Gandhi wrote that they exchange formal greetings whenever they meet at parliamentary or semi-official events. However, she said their interactions lack the cordiality that political leaders from different parties once shared.
“When he comes face-to-face with me, we greet each other with a formal namaste,” she wrote, adding that PM Modi tends to look away and avoid eye contact.
She said they have never held a meaningful conversation, although they have exchanged birthday and New Year greetings. Gandhi also recalled instances when Prime Minister Modi enquired about her health after her hospital discharge.
The Congress leader highlighted their ideological differences and said they represent contrasting visions of India. She described her vision as one rooted in inclusiveness, secularism and social justice, while accusing PM Modi of pursuing a different political outlook.
Gandhi also criticised Prime Minister Modi for his remarks about India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. She attributed his language to what she described as his ideological conditioning by the RSS.
The memoir offers Gandhi’s account of her political journey and her differences with the BJP leadership. The BJP has criticised the book, calling it an attempt to “whitewash history”.
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