NEW DELHI, Nov 12: The BJP on Wednesday targeted Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over her recently published autobiography, alleging that she acted like a “super prime minister” during the UPA government despite declining the post in 2004.
At a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, party MP and spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi referred to Gandhi’s autobiography, Belonging: A Journey of Love, and questioned her decision not to become prime minister after the Congress-led UPA won the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.
Trivedi said Gandhi later became chairperson of the National Advisory Council with Cabinet rank. He asked what kind of sacrifice it was to give up the prime minister’s post and become a “super prime minister”.
“It is difficult to understand what kind of sacrifice it was to leave the prime minister’s post and become a super prime minister,” Trivedi said.
He claimed that Gandhi wielded considerable influence during the UPA government despite not holding the constitutional post of prime minister. He said such instances of a person giving up the prime minister’s post while accepting Cabinet rank were rare in the world.
Trivedi also referred to the political situation in 1999 and claimed that Gandhi had expressed her desire to become prime minister but could not secure the required letters of support.
Gandhi’s autobiography also mentioned her decision not to accept the prime minister’s post after the 2004 elections.
