The publication of Sonia Gandhi's memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', has ignited fierce political pushback from leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena, who have challenged her account of pivotal events in India's history, including the Emergency, Operation Blue Star, and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The reactions, voiced in New Delhi on 11 November 2026, come as the memoir draws national attention for its treatment of episodes long at the centre of partisan contestation.

BJP's Core Charge: Whitewashing the Past

BJP National Spokesperson R.P. Singh accused the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson of using the memoir to deflect accountability for her party's most controversial chapters. Singh alleged that the book assigns blame for the Emergency entirely to the late Sanjay Gandhi, while shielding those still living by targeting those who can no longer respond.

'Sonia Gandhi's book is entirely an attempt to whitewash the sins committed by the Congress. On the issue of the Emergency, she is placing all the blame on Sanjay Gandhi. In all the other incidents she has discussed in the book, she is trying to absolve herself while blaming people who are no longer alive,' Singh said.

Bihar BJP President Sanjay Saraogi separately criticised reported passages in which Sonia Gandhi questions Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to the nation-first principle and the ideological values of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 'The respected Prime Minister and the RSS do not need a certificate of approval from Sonia Gandhi or the Congress party,' Saraogi said.

Shiv Sena Questions Women's Representation and 1984

Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC questioned why the memoir, titled around the theme of belonging, failed to address the concerns of women across India — particularly given the pending passage of the Women's Reservation Bill for 33 per cent Lok Sabha seats.

'Sonia Gandhi ji, you talk about belonging, but where is the story of India's women? Where is their belonging? Why isn't there a single page for India's daughters?' she said, pressing Gandhi on her role in advancing women's political representation.

Shaina also challenged the memoir's account of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi experiencing grief after viewing footage from Operation Blue Star, arguing that historical events of such magnitude cannot be treated as private reflections. 'When you write about 1984, the Emergency and Operation Blue Star in that book, it no longer remains personal; it becomes the country's history. And when it becomes the country's history, you have to answer a few questions,' she said.

Pointing to the 1984 violence in which, she noted, over 3,000 Sikhs were killed in Delhi, Shaina questioned what concrete action had followed beyond expressions of remorse. 'History doesn't change through a book,' she said.

BJP MLA Raises Foreign Publisher and Punjab Timing Concerns

BJP MLA Ram Kadam questioned the decision to publish the memoir through a foreign publisher, framing it as inconsistent with the declared love for India that runs through the book's pages. He also took issue with passages reportedly critical of the presence of religious figures at Prime Minister Modi's oath-taking ceremony, saying such seating arrangements were consistent with Indian cultural values.

Notably, Kadam alleged that the memoir's references to Operation Blue Star and Punjab were politically calculated ahead of the state's upcoming Assembly elections. 'Fearing a crushing defeat in the Punjab elections, she has written certain things in the book by distorting facts, perhaps to gain the sympathy of the people there,' he claimed. He also questioned why the account of Indira Gandhi's emotional reaction to Operation Blue Star had not surfaced in the 42 years since the event.

JD(U) Says Reader Expectations Have Faded

Janata Dal (United) National Spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan claimed that the memoir had failed to meet public expectations, arguing that someone with Sonia Gandhi's unique vantage point — as Indira Gandhi's daughter-in-law, Rajiv Gandhi's wife, and a senior Congress leader — was well-placed to illuminate lesser-known aspects of India's political history but had not done so. 'People's expectations from this much-discussed book now seem to be fading completely,' Ranjan said.

What Comes Next

The Congress party had not issued a formal response to the opposition's criticism at the time of reporting. With Punjab Assembly elections approaching, the memoir's references to Operation Blue Star are likely to remain a flashpoint in political discourse. The debate underscores how contested episodes of India's post-independence history — the Emergency, the 1984 riots, and counter-insurgency operations in Punjab — continue to shape the country's present-day political battles.