BJP leader and Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has criticised Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, accusing her of presenting a distorted account of the 1984 events, including Operation Blue Star and the anti-Sikh violence that followed Indira Gandhi’s assassination.
At a press conference on November 10, Sirsa called the memoir’s portrayal of the events “a complete lie” and an “absolute distortion of history”. He also questioned why Sonia Gandhi had spoken about the suffering of Sikhs after more than four decades.
“You speak today about the tragedy of 2,000 Sikhs, yet you are only addressing this after 42 long years. Over the last quarter of a century, you never once spoke about the pain of 1984,” Sirsa said.
Sirsa Accuses Gandhi Family of Avoiding Responsibility
Sirsa rejected the memoir’s account that Indira Gandhi was moved to tears after seeing images of the damage caused by the Army operation at the Golden Temple, also known as Sri Darbar Sahib.
“Sonia Gandhi says Indira Gandhi was crying at the genocide… absolutely false,” he said.
He also accused former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of orchestrating the violence against Sikhs after Indira Gandhi’s assassination in October 1984. Sirsa alleged that those involved in the killings were later rewarded by the Congress leadership.
“Rajiv Gandhi orchestrated all of it… Sonia Gandhi is only talking about shedding crocodile tears, whereas the reality is that Rajiv Gandhi rewarded the very people who massacred Sikhs,” he said.
Sirsa further alleged that the military operation at the Golden Temple was planned with the assistance of British military officers and intelligence officials. He claimed the operation was intended to punish Sikhs for opposing the Emergency.
He also said the memoir failed to mention attacks on around 40 other gurdwaras alongside the Golden Temple.
Sirsa Raises Questions Over Justice for 1984 Victims
The BJP leader questioned the handling of investigations into the 1984 anti-Sikh violence and accused successive Congress governments of failing to act against those named in inquiry reports.
He referred to the Jain-Banerjee Committee and the Nanavati Commission, alleging that recommendations and findings naming Congress leaders Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler did not lead to timely action.
Sirsa also accused the Gandhi family of protecting those implicated in the violence and raised questions about the delay in filing a chargesheet in a case involving Sajjan Kumar. These were allegations made by Sirsa at the press conference.
He demanded a public apology from Sonia Gandhi to the Sikh community, saying the memoir should not be used to “whitewash history”.
Other Leaders Also Criticise Memoir
Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu also questioned the memoir’s account of Indira Gandhi’s alleged remorse after Operation Blue Star.
He asked whether the reported regret was about the suffering of Sikhs or the political consequences of the military operation. Sandhu also questioned why the Congress had not accepted responsibility for the anti-Sikh violence that followed Indira Gandhi’s assassination.
The memoir, published by HarperCollins, went on sale on November 10 and has triggered a political dispute. The BJP and other critics have accused Sonia Gandhi of selectively presenting the Gandhi family’s history, while Congress leaders Salman Khurshid and Rajeev Shukla have defended the book and urged critics to read it without giving it a political interpretation.
