Salman Khurshid defends Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, says she spoke "bravely and with great sensitivity"

"Many things that people used to speculate about and ask questions about, but never had definite answers to, have now been addressed. On these far-reaching matters, Sonia ji has spoken very bravely and with great sensitivity. The very close relationships she had with people around her, with leaders and with her family, were known to those close to her, but the world did not know about them. She has clearly and transparently placed those things before the world. Who could be bothered by this? What she has said is what her heart feels and what she thinks. How can anyone else be bothered by that?” he said.

Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Wednesday strongly defended Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', saying she had addressed several questions that had remained unanswered for years and had openly shared her personal experiences and relationships with the world. Speaking to reporters in Hyderabad, Khurshid said Sonia Gandhi had spoken with courage and sensitivity about issues that people had long speculated about but never received definite answers to.

"Many things that people used to speculate about and ask questions about, but never had definite answers to, have now been addressed. On these far-reaching matters, Sonia ji has spoken very bravely and with great sensitivity. The very close relationships she had with people around her, with leaders and with her family, were known to those close to her, but the world did not know about them. She has clearly and transparently placed those things before the world. Who could be bothered by this? What she has said is what her heart feels and what she thinks. How can anyone else be bothered by that?” he said. His remarks come amid a political exchange between Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the memoir, which revisits several significant episodes in India's political history and Gandhi's personal journey.

The book, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', chronicles Gandhi's childhood in post-war Italy, her relationship with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Cambridge, her entry into the Nehru-Gandhi family and personal tragedies, including the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. It also revisits politically sensitive episodes, including the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, the 2002 Gujarat riots, Operation Blue Star, the Emergency, the 2004 Prime Ministerial episode and the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement.

The memoir has triggered a fresh political confrontation, with BJP leaders accusing the former Congress president of attempting to "whitewash" the historical record of the Nehru-Gandhi family, while Congress leaders have defended her right to share her personal experiences and recollections. Reacting to the BJP's criticism over Diwali and Eid remarks, Khurshid accused the ruling party of encouraging divisions in society.

"BJP people don't like anything. If someone talks about enthusiasm, bringing people together, uniting people, or bringing Diwali and Eid together, BJP doesn't like it because they want everyone to remain separate, divided and away from each other," he said. Meanwhile, speaking about the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad, Khurshid said the event would contribute significantly to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's vision for the state, particularly in terms of economic growth and attracting investments.

"The Bharat Summit is contributing a very significant element to the Chief Minister's dream for Telangana. We have eight sessions completely devoted to the economic growth of Telangana. We have people coming especially for the purpose of investing in Telangana. This will be the stepping stone to the big event that will happen in December as far as Telangana is concerned," he said. The Bharat Summit, being organised in Hyderabad for the second consecutive year under the leadership of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, is scheduled to take place on November 13 and 14 at HITEX.

More than 1,000 participants, including elected representatives, policymakers and intellectuals from over 70 countries, have confirmed their participation in the event. Separately, Telangana BJP State Chief Spokesperson NV Subash said Sonia Gandhi had the right to write and release her memoir but described it as a "general and normal book".

Speaking to ANI in Thiruvananthapuram, Subash said, "Anyone has the right to write their own memoir and release it. Over the past 20–25 years, we have witnessed the decline of the Congress party. Rahul Gandhi is like a rocket that has never been launched. Congress leaders have always wanted to launch him as their prime ministerial candidate, but unfortunately, he has nosedived. There are several issues in the book that need to be examined. But as far as we are concerned, it is just a general and normal book.” (ANI)