The BJP has criticized Sonia Gandhi, saying that she gave up the prime minister’s post to Manmohan Singh only so that she could remain the “super prime minister.”
Congress senior leader Sonia Gandhi has written an autobiography titled “Belonging: A Journey of Love.” In it, she has written that during the first UPA government in 2004, even though alliance parties insisted that she should take up the post of prime minister, she chose Manmohan Singh for the position, and that Rajiv Gandhi had opposed Indira Gandhi’s imposition of the Emergency.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday at the BJP headquarters in Delhi on this, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said: How great a sacrifice it was to give up the post of Prime Minister in order to become a super Prime Minister (he said sarcastically). Even though he gave up the post of Prime Minister, he took up the post of chairperson of the National Advisory Council.
That is a position equivalent to that of a Cabinet minister. Nowhere else can one find an example of sacrifice like taking a Cabinet-rank post without assuming the post of Prime Minister. Manmohan Singh's government functioned under Sonia's leadership.
But in reality, Sonia Gandhi wanted to become the Prime Minister of the country. Evidence for this is that when Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government fell in 1999 by a margin of one vote, Sonia Gandhi met the then President (Abdul Kalam) in person.
She said that she had the support of 272 MPs. This shows that Sonia Gandhi wanted to become Prime Minister. At the same time, Congress’s alliance partners did not accept it.
In her autobiography, Sonia has written that it was her brother-in-law who was responsible for the imposition of Emergency in the country, and that her husband Rajiv Gandhi opposed it. Rajiv had supported the Emergency at various points in time.
Rajiv Gandhi may have said in 1985 that he did not oppose the Emergency; but instead of saying that, he said the Emergency was entirely justified.
In response to a question raised at a press conference, Rajiv Gandhi also said that imposing the Emergency was the right thing to do. In this matter, was what the late Rajiv Gandhi said correct? Or was what Sonia said correct?.
The book was written without proper research. Because in that book, it is stated that Anna Hazare’s movement began in 2012.
But in fact, it began in 2011. It has also been said that the RSS organization was started in 1921 while its founder, Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, was in prison. He said there are many such errors.
Hazare’s denial: Meanwhile, Anna Hazare has denied Sonia Gandhi’s claim in her book that the BJP and RSS secretly supported the India Against Corruption movement held in 2011-2012 to remove the United Progressive Alliance government from power.
Regarding this, Anna Hazare said, “That is wrong. I have no connection with the BJP or the RSS organization. I have never participated in their events either. I will give first priority to the nation.”
On what basis are you saying that the Manmohan Singh government fell because of my struggle? Sudhanshu Trivedi said, referring to what was mentioned.