The much-discussed autobiography of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, titled Belonging: A Journey of Love, has come under scrutiny following allegations of several factual errors related to historical events and important dates.
Soon after the book’s release, discrepancies in the chronology of key political events and the years of certain incidents reportedly came to light, triggering criticism from political circles.
One of the alleged errors concerns the death of senior Congress leader and Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary, Ahmed Patel. The book reportedly mentions that Patel died in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Ahmed Patel actually passed away on November 25, 2020.
Another discrepancy relates to the year of the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement. The book reportedly refers to the movement as having taken place in 2012. However, the movement began on April 5, 2011, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. In August 2011, Ramlila Maidan became its main centre of protest.
The alleged inaccuracies have drawn criticism from BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who has questioned the contents and narrative of Sonia Gandhi’s autobiography.
Dubey also criticised the book’s portrayal of former Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi. According to the BJP leader, the autobiography presents Sanjay Gandhi in a negative light while portraying Rajiv Gandhi as a hero. He argued that both leaders are no longer alive to respond to the claims made about them.
Raising questions about Sonia Gandhi’s views on the Emergency, Dubey asked why Indira Gandhi had fielded Sanjay Gandhi instead of Rajiv Gandhi in the 1980 elections if Sonia Gandhi was strongly opposed to the Emergency.
The BJP MP further questioned Sonia Gandhi’s understanding of Indian culture and family values. Referring to Maneka Gandhi’s separation from the Gandhi family, he asked whether Sonia Gandhi had felt any sadness when Maneka was forced to leave the family.
Dubey alleged that the autobiography was largely an attempt at self-praise and an effort to portray others in a negative light.
The controversy has brought renewed political attention to Sonia Gandhi’s autobiography, with its historical references and portrayal of prominent members of the Gandhi family becoming subjects of debate.