00:00Sonia Gandhi's memoir, Belonging, A Journey of Love, has hit the stands from revealing why she turned down the Prime
00:06Minister's post in 2004
00:07to recounting a leadership change suggestion from Pranam Mukherjee.
00:11The book makes some startling revelations, but it has already sparked a sharp political backlash over what it says and
00:18what it leaves out.
00:19Here's a report.
00:29Sonia Gandhi's long-awaited memoir, Belonging, A Journey of Love, hit the stands on Tuesday.
00:36The book reveals many aspects of her life and political career in India, a country she adopted after marrying Rajiv
00:43Gandhi.
00:44For the first time, Sonia Gandhi opens up on her decision to reject the Prime Minister's post in 2004
00:51after the UPA won the Lok Sabha elections, a call she had famously described then as listening to her inner
00:59voice.
01:00In the book, Sonia Gandhi says months before the election, she had discussed the issue of Prime Ministership with Rahul
01:07Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.
01:08She had decided she will not take up the Prime Minister's job and her children were also not in favour.
01:15But after the elections, under tremendous pressure from Congress leaders and allies, Sonia agreed, saying,
01:23Sonia Gandhi recounts that both Priyanka and Rahul were angry and hurt.
01:28The Congress leader claims she knew the BJP would use her foreign origin as an issue to stir up emotions
01:35but also did not want to abandon responsibility.
01:38Finally, she opted out, listening to her inner voice, announcing the decision at the Congress-Parlamentary Party meeting held on
01:46May 18th, 2004.
01:50The autobiography also reveals that in the second term of UPA, Pranam Mukherjee, who had differences with Chidambaram,
01:58raised the issue of leadership change in a conversation which shocked Sonia.
02:03Pranam's daughter, Sharmishtha Mukherjee, reacted to the claim, saying, and I quote,
02:07What is there to be shocked about?
02:09Is it a crime to be ambitious if it is supported by decades of experience in politics and governance?
02:15And I unquote.
02:17The book has also sparked a political row.
02:20The BJP has questioned her stand on 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
02:256,100 army soldiers in Delhi were available in Delhi.
02:3131 October night and the first November morning.
02:36But they did not deploy in Delhi, but they did not deploy in Delhi.
02:41The first morning was made to Delhi on Delhi, so there was a little bit of 2,000 sikhs.
02:48The first time was made to be a
03:10that the blue store operation has also been accepted for the wrong place.
03:16It has been made up of pain and the smoke has been told.
03:22Sonia Gandhi's autobiography, which makes many revelations,
03:26is also silent on some key chapters of a political career.
03:30The book for now finds itself in a political storm or tamasha,
03:34as she had predicted in one of her teasers.
03:37Bureau Report, India Today.
03:40Bureau Report, India Today.
