Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has described her relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as distant, saying their interactions have remained largely formal despite meeting at several official events.
In her 544-page memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, published by HarperCollins India on Tuesday, Sonia Gandhi reflects on her political relationship with PM Modi, whom she identifies as her biggest political adversary.
Sonia Gandhi wrote that the two exchange formal greetings when they meet at parliamentary or semi-official gatherings but have never shared a meaningful conversation.
Recalling their encounters, Sonia Gandhi said they greet each other with a formal ‘namaste’ and claimed that the Prime Minister often looks away and avoids eye contact. She added that their communication has included birthday and New Year greetings.
Sonia Gandhi recalled occasions when PM Modi enquired about her health following her discharge from hospital.
The Congress leader further outlined their ideological differences, describing her vision of India as one based on inclusiveness, secularism and social justice. She accused the Prime Minister of representing a contrasting political outlook.
Sonia Gandhi criticised PM Modi’s remarks about India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, attributing his language to what she described as ideological conditioning by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The memoir presents Sonia Gandhi’s account of her political journey and her differences with the BJP leadership.
The BJP has criticised the publication, describing it as an attempt to ‘whitewash history’.
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