Sushil Shinde defends Sonia Gandhi’s remarks on Operation Blue Star, Babri demolition
New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde on Wednesday defended Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s remarks in her memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love, touching upon Operation Blue Star, the demolition of the Babri Masjid, and the latter’s approach towards politics.
Speaking to IANS about the references to Operation Blue Star in the memoir, former Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said Sonia Gandhi had addressed several significant events in India’s history and explained her perspective on them.
“Look, several things have happened in India’s history, some good and some bad. She must have discussed all of them and explained her views. She must have also spoken openly about the events that took place in our country and the damage they caused, including the losses suffered by the party and, to some extent, the country. She must have shared everything wholeheartedly. However, I will comment on it after reading the book,” Shinde said.
He added that the memoir would also contain her account of Operation Blue Star, the military operation conducted at the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar in June 1984.
“She must have also mentioned everything about Operation Blue Star. Indira Gandhi and Punjab could never have been separated, but what could be done? Those who carried out the operation did so as part of their duty,” he said.
Responding to Sonia Gandhi’s reported remark that she was in tears when the Babri Masjid was demolished in December 1992, Shinde said the Gandhi-Nehru family had responded emotionally to major political and historical events.
“Whether it was Babri or Operation Blue Star, the Gandhi-Nehru family is very emotional. They have dealt with and expressed all these matters from the heart. So, there must certainly have been tears in their eyes and pain in their hearts, but on one side there were emotions and on the other was a sense of duty,” he said.
Shinde also defended Sonia Gandhi against criticism from the BJP following the release of her memoir, highlighting her decision to make India her home and her contribution to public life.
“The BJP will keep saying such things; they have nothing else to do. But will they ever reflect on the sacrifices Sonia Gandhi has made for this country? A woman from a foreign country came to India and dedicated everything she had to this nation. There will be fewer people who come from outside and make India their own,” he said.
He added, “Sonia Gandhi is such a leader who did not think about returning after she came to India. She gave her all to this nation till the end of her time.”
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his political approach and remarks concerning religious communities, saying that his outlook was inconsistent with the idea of a secular Indian society.
Commenting on the references to Modi in Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Soz said, “The BJP is no longer what it used to be. Modi sahab wants to maintain closer ties with the RSS, and because of this, he has taken a different path. In Urdu, this is called ‘being misled’.”
He further said, “Modi ji can no longer speak about a secular Indian society. Recently, he went to Rajasthan and made a statement referring to Muslims. How can a Prime Minister who continues to divide India’s entire population into separate groups, such as Hindus and Muslims, serve the country?”
“His outlook is not clear. Sonia Gandhi also points to this. That is why Modi ji cannot look Sonia Gandhi in the eye and speak to her,” Soz added.
Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, has triggered political reactions, with Congress leaders defending her account while leaders from the BJP and other parties have questioned several of its claims and references.
–IANS
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