Telangana BJP Chief Hits Out at Congress Over Sonia Gandhi Memoir Controversy

HYDERABAD — Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party President N Ramchander Rao on Saturday targeted the Congress party after publisher Penguin Random House India backed out of publishing Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi's memoir, titled 'Belonging: A Journey of Love'.

Speaking in Hyderabad, Rao stated that the publisher's decision to seek a fact-check of certain incidents mentioned in the memoir raises serious questions regarding the claims made throughout the book.

Speaking to ANI, Rao noted that while there had been significant hype surrounding Sonia Gandhi's memoir, the publisher's request for fact-checking demonstrated that the Congress party had always relied on falsehoods and attempted to create narratives.

Rao remarked that when an autobiography comes under scrutiny and requires independent fact-checking, the claims made by Congress leaders must be closely questioned. He added that readers should verify for themselves the veracity of the contents within the book.

The controversy also drew reactions from other senior BJP leaders. BJP National Spokesperson CR Kesavan, speaking in Chennai, criticised the Congress over its response to developments surrounding the memoir. Kesavan characterised the Congress leadership's narrative as hypocritical.

Kesavan further questioned Congress leaders who alleged there was apprehension over the book's contents. He asked why the party's top leadership had not made public 51 carton boxes containing the correspondence of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, including his letters to Edwin Montagu, alleging that the leadership remained hesitant to release those historical records.