Sonia Gandhi reflects on personal tragedies, memoir delays and criticism of Modi's government

Sonia Gandhi, the long-serving president of the Indian National Congress, spoke to a journalist about her forthcoming memoir and her life after the assassinations of her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi in 1984 and her husband Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. She recalled holding Indira’s blood-stained body and later learning of Rajiv’s death while at her Delhi bungalow.

Gandhi said the book, titled Belonging, faced publishing difficulties in India. She claimed Penguin Random House India hesitated to release it because of its criticism of the government and that the publisher later withdrew the manuscript, though the publisher denied that editorial changes were the cause.

She accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party of undermining democratic institutions and creating an “atmosphere of fear” for opposition figures. > "They are very vindictive and vicious. There doesn’t seem to be a heart there," she said of the BJP’s actions against her family.

Gandhi expressed disappointment with the media environment, noting that mainstream outlets are largely aligned with the Modi government and frequently target the Congress party. She also highlighted recent youth protests, describing them as a hopeful sign of renewed dissent.

While she declined to seek the prime ministerial post after the Congress victory in 2004, Gandhi said she felt a duty to lead the party following her husband’s death. She now lives a quieter life, tending a vegetable garden and spending time with her grandchildren, but remains engaged with Congress through her children Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi.