"BJP leaders should read it with an open mind": Robert Vadra on Sonia Gandhi’s memoir

Urging BJP leaders to read the memoir, Vadra said, "I would say that the BJP people should learn from Mrs Gandhi. I would say that they should read the book with an open mind. She's like a statesman and she's like a mentor to many people."

Businessman and Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra on Wednesday urged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders to read Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', with an open mind, describing her as a strong and resilient woman whose life reflects commitment to her family and the country. Speaking to ANI, Vadra said he was proud of Sonia Gandhi and the experiences she had shared in the book, which he received from her on Tuesday.

"I'm very proud of my mother-in-law for her life, her experience, my relationship with her, what I've learned from her, how she takes care of everything. And definitely all of that and more is in the book. Though I'll say that I still haven't read the book, but I'm a proud owner of the book which I received yesterday from her," he said. Recalling the personal dedication she wrote for him, Vadra said, "She mentioned she wrote a little something for me, that 'to my son-in-law Robert with lots of love, your mom-in-law'. So it's a personal book for me which I'm going to definitely read."

He said the memoir took 12 years to complete and contained her real-life experiences. "I'm very proud of her because whatever difficulties that she had to deal with, she also made some very good decisions, strong decisions. She's always had a lot of strength, resilience and energy to deal with everything every day," Vadra said.

Describing her journey into the Gandhi family, he added, "She's a strong, sincere lady with a lot of experience, a lot of commitment that she learned when she gave up her life and she got married and came to this country. And coming to the Gandhi family requires a lot of strength." Vadra also recalled Sonia Gandhi's support during his questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), alleging that he faced false accusations and repeated summons.

"Every time I returned from my interrogation, I saw my mother-in-law was there waiting for me to see how I'm doing. Her experience really helped, and it gave me the strength to deal with anything which was even false that I had to deal with," he said. Defending her decision to decline the Prime Minister's post after the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Vadra said she was not seeking political power.

"People saw good in that, that she's not running after any positions, she's not interested in power as such. She's just wanting that the country stays secular and that we evolve as a good society together," he said, adding that nominating Manmohan Singh was "a very wise decision". Urging BJP leaders to read the memoir, Vadra said, "I would say that the BJP people should learn from Mrs Gandhi. I would say that they should read the book with an open mind. She's like a statesman and she's like a mentor to many people."

"You don't have to be a Prime Minister for people to respect you. You can also give up a position and people will respect you and people will still listen to you and understand that your vision is for the betterment of the people of the country," he added. (ANI)