Sonia Gandhi's newly released memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love has triggered two controversies in a day.
On one front, social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday rejected her claim that his 2011-12 India Against Corruption movement was covertly organised and supported by BJP and RSS to dislodge UPA government.
“This is wrong. I don't have any connection with BJP or RSS. I don't participate in their programmes. My country is my priority”, Hazare said at Ralegan Siddhi. “Whatever I do is for society and country. What is the basis to claim Manmohan Singh-led government lost 2014 due to my agitation?”, he asked. A responsible person should speak responsibly. It is not right to speak in a vague manner. It diminishes that person's image.
The excerpt from the memoir that went viral said: In 2012 a well-known activist, Baburao Anna Hazare, emerged as figurehead of movement that titled itself India Against Corruption. Some of its prominent participants have stated since that it was covertly organised and supported by BJP and RSS.
Hazare added: “Neither has she seen me, nor have I seen her.” BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said book is not soul-searching but attempt to polish image. Shiv Sena UBT's Ambadas Danve backed Gandhi, saying Hazare was used as front to create anarchy.
On second front, BJP accused Sonia of whitewashing historical wrongs in same memoir. Sonia Gandhi could have titled memoir Whitewashing instead of Belonging because motive appears to be sugar-coating historical wrongs perpetrated by Nehru-Gandhi family, BJP spokesperson C R Kesavan said.
Kesavan cited 1984 anti-Sikh riots after Indira Gandhi assassination and 1975 Emergency. In book Sonia describes riots as tragic and shameful chapter, accusing some officials of looking other way, and says Indira felt isolated and politically cornered before imposing Emergency, when civil liberties were suspended and press censored.
Congress hit back, accusing Modi's BJP of giving book political spin. Sonia in prologue said it is personal memoir, one for which politics is background, a kind of framework. Released Tuesday by HarperCollins India after talks failed with Penguin, priced at Rs 1299, it topped Amazon India bestseller list Wednesday.
Analysis:
Two attacks, one book, same strategy. Sonia attempts to reframe UPA's fall as engineered by RSS-BJP through Anna and to soften family legacy on Emergency and 1984 by personalising them. Hazare's angry denial punctures first narrative because his moral capital rests on being apolitical, and his never-met-her line makes claim look hearsay. BJP's whitewashing charge keeps focus on second narrative where Congress remains most vulnerable, forcing debate back to 1984 and Emergency just ahead of state polls. For Congress, controversy is double-edged, it boosts sales and sympathy around an Italian-born woman belonging to India, but reopens wounds it wants closed.
Tags: #SoniaGandhi #Belonging #AnnaHazare #BJP #IAC #Whitewashing #Emergency #1984Riots #MemoirRow #Congress