BJP slams Sonia Gandhi memoir as 'whitewashing' of Nehru-Gandhi family wrongs
Synopsis
On the day Sonia Gandhi's memoir 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' hit shelves, the BJP called it a whitewash — not an autobiography. Spokesperson C.R. Kesavan challenged her framing of the Emergency, questioned her silence on the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, and raised a pointed question about a pre-publication visit to Natwar Singh a decade ago. The memoir and the BJP's volley together reopen some of Indian politics' most contested fault lines.
Key Takeaways
BJP spokesperson C.R.
Kesavan attacked Sonia Gandhi's memoir 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' on 10 November 2026 , calling it an exercise in 'whitewashing.' In the memoir, Sonia Gandhi describes the Emergency of 1975 as a mistake and suggests Indira Gandhi had reached a similar view.
She also suggests much of the Emergency's damage could have been averted had Sanjay Gandhi been kept 'in check.' The BJP questioned why the memoir reportedly expressed grief over Babri Masjid but not the 1984 anti-Sikh violence or the 26/11 Mumbai attacks .
Kesavan raised questions about an alleged visit by Sonia Gandhi to K.
Natwar Singh before the 2014 release of his autobiography, which discussed her refusal of the Prime Minister's post in 2004 .
The Congress party had not publicly responded to the BJP's remarks at the time of reporting.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, launched a pointed attack on Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi over her newly released memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', accusing her of attempting to downplay the Emergency and insulate the Nehru-Gandhi family from historical accountability.
The BJP's Core Charge
BJP national spokesperson C.R. Kesavan argued that the memoir should have been titled differently altogether. 'Sonia Gandhi could have titled her memoir as 'Whitewashing' instead of 'Belonging', because the motive of this book appears to be sugar-coating the historical wrongs perpetrated by the Nehru-Gandhi family and camouflaging the cardinal sins committed by the Congress party,' Kesavan said in a post on X.
The remarks came on the day of the memoir's release, with Kesavan contending that the book attempts to 'justify and normalise' the Emergency rather than squarely acknowledge the suspension of fundamental rights, curbs on press freedom, and other excesses of that period.
What Sonia Gandhi's Memoir Says on the Emergency
In 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', Sonia Gandhi described the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 as a mistake, and claimed she believed her mother-in-law had eventually reached a similar conclusion. She also suggested that much of the damage during the Emergency could have been avoided had Indira Gandhi exercised greater control over her younger son, Sanjay Gandhi, and kept him 'in check.'
Kesavan rejected this framing, arguing it deflects responsibility rather than offering a genuine reckoning with one of independent India's most contested political episodes.
BJP Raises 1984, Babri Masjid and 26/11
The BJP spokesperson broadened his critique to challenge what he called selective concern in the memoir. Responding to Sonia Gandhi's reported references to the demolition of the Babri Masjid, Kesavan questioned why no comparable grief had been expressed over the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, which occurred during Congress rule. 'She says she cried for Babri Masjid. Did Sonia Gandhi shed even a drop of tear when gurdwaras were targeted, and thousands of innocent people were violently killed during the 1984 Sikh massacre, which happened during Congress rule?' he asked.
Kesavan further questioned whether the memoir addresses the Congress-led UPA government's response to the 2008 Batla House encounter and the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. 'Did Sonia Gandhi cry for the innocent lives lost in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, which happened under the Congress government? Will her book answer why the Congress-led UPA government failed to retaliate?' he said.
The Natwar Singh Angle
Kesavan also raised questions about an alleged visit by Sonia Gandhi to the residence of former External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh shortly before the release of Singh's own autobiography, 'One Life Is Not Enough', in 2014. In that book, Natwar Singh had recounted the circumstances around Sonia Gandhi's decision to decline the post of Prime Minister after the Congress emerged as the single largest party in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. According to his account, Sonia Gandhi and her daughter Priyanka Gandhi had met him before publication and discussed the relevant passages.
Kesavan alleged that the visit had occurred after a gap of eight-and-a-half years and sought to know what had prompted the meeting. 'Why, and what was Sonia Gandhi so apprehensive about what Natwar Singh would write in his book about events leading to the swearing-in of the UPA government in 2004?' he asked.
BJP's Broader Political Verdict
Concluding his remarks, Kesavan accused the Congress of inflicting lasting damage on India's democratic institutions during its years in power. 'The Congress regime at the Centre for nearly 55 years inflicted unfathomable damage and scars on Indian polity and our democracy,' he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had worked to address those historical wrongs. The Congress party had not issued an immediate response to the BJP's remarks at the time of this report.
Point of View
Timed precisely to the memoir's release day. By pivoting immediately to 1984, Batla House, and 26/11, the party is ensuring that whatever sympathetic narrative Sonia Gandhi constructs around the Emergency is immediately surrounded by competing grievances — a standard technique to prevent any single historical reframing from gaining traction. The more substantive question the memoir raises — whether the Nehru-Gandhi family has ever genuinely reckoned with the Emergency — will likely be lost in the crossfire. And the Natwar Singh reference is a reminder that in Indian politics, old autobiographies have a habit of becoming ammunition in future battles.
NationPress
10 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sonia Gandhi's memoir 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' about?
It is a personal memoir by Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, released on 10 November 2026, that covers her life and political experiences, including her views on the Emergency of 1975. In it, she describes the Emergency as a mistake and suggests that much of its damage could have been avoided had Indira Gandhi exercised greater control over Sanjay Gandhi.
Why is the BJP criticising Sonia Gandhi's memoir?
BJP national spokesperson C.R. Kesavan accused the memoir of 'sugar-coating' the Nehru-Gandhi family's historical wrongs and attempting to 'justify and normalise' the Emergency rather than acknowledge the suspension of fundamental rights and press freedom. He also questioned her selective expressions of concern, citing her reported grief over the Babri Masjid demolition but apparent silence on the 1984 anti-Sikh violence and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
What did Sonia Gandhi say about Indira Gandhi and the Emergency?
According to the memoir, Sonia Gandhi described the Emergency — imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 — as a mistake, and claimed she believed Indira Gandhi had eventually reached a similar conclusion herself. She also suggested that greater control over Sanjay Gandhi could have prevented much of the damage caused during that period.
What is the Natwar Singh connection raised by the BJP?
BJP spokesperson Kesavan raised questions about an alleged visit by Sonia Gandhi to former External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh shortly before the 2014 release of his autobiography 'One Life Is Not Enough.' In that book, Natwar Singh discussed Sonia Gandhi's decision to decline the Prime Minister's post after the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. Kesavan questioned why the visit took place after an eight-and-a-half-year gap and what prompted it.
Has the Congress party responded to the BJP's criticism of the memoir?
The Congress party had not issued a public response to the BJP's remarks at the time of this report. The BJP's attack came on the same day the memoir was released.
