Sonia Gandhi recently wrote and spoke openly about Maneka Gandhi at the launch of her autobiography, “Belonging: A Journey of Love,” and in related interviews.
Sonia Gandhi’s book, “Belonging: A Journey of Love,” makes the following statements about Maneka Gandhi:
Rude Temperament and Abuse: Sonia Gandhi writes in her book, “Belonging: A Journey of Love,” that Maneka Gandhi’s behavior changed after Sanjay Gandhi’s death, and she would often use abusive language when angry, which even made Indira Gandhi uncomfortable.
Diplomatic and Political Ambitions: According to Sonia Gandhi, after Sanjay Gandhi’s death, Maneka Gandhi, at the age of 23, wanted a major political position, while Indira Gandhi believed she was not yet mature enough for it.
Varun Gandhi and Family Dispute: Sonia Gandhi alleged that Maneka Gandhi did not allow Varun Gandhi to meet Indira Gandhi, and once, when Sonia Gandhi went to give Varun a gift at his school at Indira Gandhi’s request, Maneka accused her of kidnapping.
Closeness to the RSS: Sonia Gandhi mentioned that Maneka’s activities, including celebrating Varun’s birthday at Vasundhara Raje’s house and her closeness to the RSS, offended Indira Gandhi.
Considering them as ‘enemies’: Sonia Gandhi wrote that Maneka Gandhi considered Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi ‘enemies’ and that she spread false rumors against them in the media.
Maneka Gandhi’s Reaction / Sources Close to Her: Those close to Maneka Gandhi have dismissed Sonia Gandhi’s autobiography, saying that Maneka has not even read it.
Their sources say that the autobiography is an attempt to ‘secure an imaginary place in history’ and vent bitterness against people, without any concrete evidence, and that many of the claims and comments in it are false and one-sided.
In Simi Garewal’s program, Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, Maneka Gandhi made several important revelations about her relationship with Sonia Gandhi. The key points she made during the interview are as follows:
Reasons for a lack of friendship: Maneka Gandhi stated that her relationship with Sonia Gandhi was good, but they never developed a friendship. She attributed this to a significant age, experience, and likes and dislikes gap.
Differences in preferences and opinions: She cited the example of Sonia Gandhi and her having completely different perspectives. While Maneka Gandhi enjoyed reading books in her free time, Sonia Gandhi loved shopping. They would sometimes go out together, but even there, Maneka would read books and Sonia would shop.
Changes after Sanjay Gandhi’s death: Maneka Gandhi explained that after the death of her husband, Sanjay Gandhi, the family, especially Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, had significantly changed their attitudes towards her.
Reason for dispute (property and rights): In other interviews and discussions, Maneka has also mentioned that her feud with Sonia Gandhi was not due to any personal bitterness, but was over family property and rights, which made her feel isolated like a traditional widow.