Sant Kabir Nagar (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 11 : Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi following the global release of her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love.
Sharply dismissing the credibility and origins of the memoir, Brajesh Pathak said, "The book released by Sonia Gandhi is merely a collection of claims designed to mislead the public and obscure events from the Congress era—such as the Emergency and the Bofors scandal. It was not written on Indian soil; it was drafted by Sam Pitroda on foreign soil..."
Pathak’s comments specifically targeted Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda, portraying the book as a narrative crafted outside India to deflect attention from long-standing allegations against the Congress leadership.
By framing the memoir as a foreign-drafted political document, the Deputy Chief Minister reiterated the BJP's charge that the Congress Party continues to distance itself from key missteps of its past governance while attempting to mislead voters.
Pathak’s sharp reaction comes amid an escalating political row ignited by the release of Gandhi’s over 500-page political and personal account. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has mounted a coordinated offensive against the book, alleging that the memoir is an attempt by the Congress leadership to whitewash historical controversies—including the 1975–77 Emergency, the Bofors scam, and the political turmoil of past Congress administrations—and reset the narrative for upcoming electoral cycles.
The Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister further alleged that the book was politically motivated and intended to mislead people in Uttar Pradesh and across the country.
"Instead of being by Sonia Gandhi, it has been crafted as a political book to mislead the people of Uttar Pradesh and India. But the people of Uttar Pradesh and India completely understand the misdeeds of the Congress," he said.
Targeting the Congress over the Emergency, Pathak accused the party of undermining democratic rights to retain power and recalled the restrictions imposed during the period.
"To save its own power, the Congress Party declared an Emergency in this country for the first time against a High Court ruling, not only suspending civil rights—we remember it well," he said.
He further alleged that democracy activists were subjected to torture during the Emergency.
Accusing the Congress of invoking the Constitution for political purposes despite its past record, he said the people would not accept or forgive the party.
"And these are the same Congress people who are now roaming around with the Constitution in their hands. They are frauds wearing different masks, and the country will never accept or forgive Congress," he said.
Reiterating his criticism, Pathak described the memoir as a deceptive document and alleged that it contained falsehoods intended to shield the Congress from questions over its past actions.
"Whether it is about the Emergency or other serious matters, they are trying to save themselves by preparing a document that is deceptive and a bundle of falsehoods. The people of the country will never accept this," he added.
Gandhi’s book revisited critical and controversial moments in independent India’s history—including the Emergency, the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, and the 2011 Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement.
The political rift has widened over the release of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, drawing swift praise from party members and sharp scepticism from the BJP. The memoir, published by HarperCollins in India, went on sale on Tuesday.
It traces Sonia Gandhi's journey from her childhood in post-war Italy and her romance with Rajiv Gandhi at Cambridge to her life in India and the personal losses that shaped her bond with the country, including the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.