New Delhi: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has recalled the emotional turmoil behind her decision to turn down the prime minister's post in 2004, revealing that she briefly agreed to take up the position after pressure from alliance leaders before ultimately standing by her decision.
In her memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', which hit the stands on Tuesday, Gandhi says her children, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, had opposed her becoming prime minister, fearing for her safety after the assassinations of their grandmother Indira Gandhi and father Rajiv Gandhi.
Recalling a meeting with alliance leaders at her residence, she says she initially resisted their demands but eventually muttered "theek hai" under pressure. However, after speaking to her children and reflecting on the decision, she resolved to decline the post.
Gandhi eventually announced in Parliament that she would follow her "inner voice" and nominated former prime minister Manmohan Singh to lead the Congress Parliamentary Party.
Also Read:
The memoir also offers her assessment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Gandhi saying she has had "practically no real contact" with him despite their years in public life. She recalls that their interactions at official gatherings have largely been limited to formal greetings and that Modi tends to avoid eye contact.
Describing their political differences, Gandhi says Modi represents an RSS-shaped vision of India, while her own outlook is rooted in inclusiveness, secularism and social justice. She adds that their differences are ideological and "not personal".
Gandhi also revisits the assassination of her husband, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, on May 21, 1991. Recalling the moment Priyanka informed her about the bomb explosion, she describes struggling to comprehend the news before confirming his death through a phone call.
She also questions the then VP Singh government's withdrawal of Rajiv Gandhi's Special Protection Group security cover, despite an earlier recommendation that it continue unless a fresh threat assessment warranted a change.
The memoir, published by HarperCollins India, traces Gandhi's personal experiences, family tragedies and political journey, with politics serving as the backdrop to her account.
