RSS responsible for Modi's remarks on Nehru: Sonia Gandhi's memoirs

Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, in her new memoirs, has held the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) responsible for the sharp remarks made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. According to a report by Hindustan Times, Sonia Gandhi has mentioned this in her 544-page book 'Belonging', which will be available in libraries from Tuesday.

Sonia Gandhi stated that her practical contact with Prime Minister Modi has been negligible so far. She writes that they only meet each other in semi-official programmes, such as in the Speaker's chamber. When they come face-to-face, they merely greet each other formally with 'Namaste'. Sonia Gandhi observed that this is different from the past, when leaders maintained cordial relations despite differences between parties. She further added that Modi avoids looking at her and evades eye contact.

Speaking about her ideology, Sonia Gandhi said that the worldviews of both leaders are different. She wrote that Modi was fighting for his vision of India, while she herself was fighting for an India of inclusivity, secularism, and social justice. She clarified that this matter was not personal. Sonia Gandhi also acknowledged that Prime Minister Modi had paved his way to power by working in the RSS from an underprivileged class. She also noted that she could understand Modi's discomfort towards the ruling class, as she herself often felt during Delhi's political discussions that the views expressed there were far removed from India's reality.

The book covers various aspects of Sonia Gandhi's life, including her birth in Italy, her life in the UK and meeting her husband, her arrival in India, and her ascendancy to power. The book also contains some personal details, such as how Rajiv Gandhi had persuaded his father to come to India before marriage and had refused to attend the wedding. Additionally, details are provided on how Indira Gandhi was as a mother-in-law, the tragic demise of her first child, and her battle and treatment against breast cancer in Milan.

Sonia Gandhi is 79 years old and has spent a long time as a leader of the Congress. She is playing a significant role as a leader of the Indian National Congress and in the country's politics.