Sonia Gandhi Opens Up About Narendra Modi, Pranab Mukherjee and Indira Gandhi in Her Autobiography

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has stated that her differences with Prime Minister Narendra Modi are based on ideology and not personal disagreements. Her autobiography, Belonging: A Journey of Love, released on Tuesday, discusses several personal experiences and significant political developments from her life. Recalling her interactions with Modi, Sonia said they had met occasionally at official events and exchanged greetings. She explained that while Modi follows his own political and ideological beliefs, her views have been shaped by her family's service, sacrifices and values such as freedom and equality. She stressed that their differences should not be viewed as personal conflicts.

Sonia also shared insights into the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's tenure, rejecting allegations that she exercised control over the government from behind the scenes. Recalling an incident from 2010, she said former President Pranab Mukherjee had expressed dissatisfaction over differences with then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and hinted that it might be time for a change in government leadership. Sonia said she understood that Mukherjee might have been expressing his ambition to become Prime Minister but chose not to pursue the conversation. She also recalled her early experiences with former Prime Minister and mother-in-law Indira Gandhi, describing her as someone who could become angry quickly. Sonia mentioned incidents in which Indira reprimanded a staff member and once threw a plate on the dining table, leaving her frightened. However, she said Rajiv Gandhi reassured her that his mother's anger was temporary and that she gradually understood Indira's personality better.