‘No interest in that right now’: Rahul Gandhi on Sonia Gandhi memoir row, cites ‘crime’ against Kharge
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said he had “no interest” in the controversy surrounding the upcoming memoir of his mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, saying his sole focus at present was the “crime” committed against party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. The Lok Sabha leader of opposition was responding to a reporter’s question at his press conference on the “purification” ritual conducted after Kharge’s rally in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, earlier this month. “I call it a digression strategy. I have absolutely no interest in that right now. My interest lies in the crime that has been committed against Kharge ji,” Rahul Gandhi said, demanding “justice” for the veteran politican. The controversy surrounding Sonia Gandhi’s biography, titled “Belonging: A Journey Of Love,” arose from reports that publisher Penguin Random House India had declined to publish the book after she rejected proposed editorial changes. However, Penguin Random House India clarified in a statement on Friday that it was not the publisher of “Belonging” in India. “Any suggestion that Penguin Random House India decided not to publish ‘Belonging’ because the author declined editorial changes does not accurately reflect the circumstances,” the publisher said in a statement. However, it acknowledged that it remained “keen to publish the book”, while stressing that fact-checking and recommending editorial changes were part of its responsibility as a publisher. “As a publisher, it is both our prerogative and our responsibility to fact check and provide authors with recommendations that are in the best interests of their books. This is a normal part of the publishing process. Throughout the relevant discussions, Penguin Random House India’s position was that we remained willing and keen to publish the book. We will not comment further on confidential discussions with the author,” the statement added. On August 20, the birth anniversary of his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi expressed his excitement over Sonia Gandhi’s biography. “I am happy, and so proud, that your story—‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’—will finally be read by the millions of people who love you. I know how hard it was for someone as private as you to tell the world your beautiful story. Today, on his birthday, I can see Papa smiling and looking down proudly at his beautiful Sonia,” the Congress MP wrote on X. The book is scheduled to be published on November 10. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
UP Cong reshuffle: From Priyanka’s circle to Rahul’s camp?
Lucknow: The recent organisational rejig in UP Congress is more than a routine change of roles, believe party insiders. To some of them, the changes speak for ‘the party moving towards a new set of leaders, seen as closer to Rahul Gandhi, to steer the UP unit ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.’ “While the meteoric rise of new in charge Rajendra Pal Gautam – who left AAP to join Congress – is already a talking point among old-timers with references to Gautam’s proximity with Rahul, murmurs that newly appointed deputies given to him are handpicked by the Rae Bareli MP are doing the rounds,” a senior organisational member told TOI. To note, on Aug 6, All India Congress Committee general secretary appointed Abhishek Dutt, Kunal Choudhary, Jagdish Chander Jangid, Sanjeev Arya, Varun Choudhary and Abdul Hannan as AICC secretaries attached to AICC in charge. The party also appreciated the outgoing in-charges – Dheeraj Gurjar, Nilanshu Chaturvedi, Pradeep Narwal, Rajesh Tiwari, Satyanarayan Patel and Tauquir Alam. “All the six co-in-charges given a role in UP were groomed by Rahul under the Youth Congress Transformation Programme. Launched in 2006 from Punjab, this programme aimed to raise young leadership in the grand old party,” said a functionary, adding, “This exercise was based on performance… Those who do well grow up the ranks in the Congress organization. And all the co-in-charges for UP have walked past this route.” During the 2022 state elections, Priyanka Gandhi and her team were at the helm of affairs in UP though her journey began in 2019 with the role of general secretary in charge of eastern UP. With her came a group of young leaders who over time became an important and effective link between Priyanka and UP. The main man in Team Priyanka was Sandeep Singh – former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union president. “As personal secretary to Priyanka, Sandeep exuded influence and controlled matters in ways which upset scores of old-timers besides turning certain functionaries virtually redundant,” said a former departmental head in UPCC, adding that the new appointments have edged Team Priyanka out. Adding that two of Singh’s associates – Pradeep Narwal and Tauqeer Alam – were also from JNU and were later appointed as AICC secretaries along with Dheeraj Gurjar, he further said, “Together they completed the coterie (that also had Mohit Pandey and Anil Yadav in the wider team) which became involved in all the key decisions and was accused of causing infighting and factionalism inside India’s politically significant state unit.” Brushing this debate aside, UP Congress in charge Rajendra Pal Gautam said, “All this is bogus. There are no camps. Congress is one party. Those saying this are peddling propaganda.” UP Congress president Ajay Rai said, “These so-called interpretations appear to be manufactured propaganda planted by BJP to dampen our high spirits ahead of the 2027 elections. They have failed on all fronts and are now using rumour mills to create confusion in our base. But they will not succeed.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Congress & BJP clash over Haldwani ‘purification’ row, Rahul seeks FIR
NEW DELHI: BJP and Congress clashed Saturday over the opposition party’s allegation that the venue of its rally in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani was “purified” because of the presence of its president Mallikarjun Kharge, with Rahul Gandhi demanding an FIR as he linked it to the unconstitutional practice of untouchability. BJP slammed Rahul’s comments as his usual bid to divide Hindus on different grounds, including caste, and played videos of some of the organisers of the so-called purification exercise to rebut his charge. It also questioned Rahul for raising the issue so many days after the alleged purification on Aug 10. One of the organisers, Ankit Pal, said he was himself a dalit and that a ‘hawan’ was held after the venue was cleaned for Ramlila. The organisers have said they have no link with BJP. At a news conference, Rahul targeted the BJP and RSS over the “purification” and demanded that PM Narendra Modi order an FIR under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against all those involved in the matter. “We are demanding justice for the Congress president and it is the duty of central and state govt to ensure that Kharge ji gets justice in Uttarakhand. Every dalit faces humiliation from birth to death, everywhere, at every step,” he alleged. “Now the ball is in BJP’s court – an FIR must be filed under the SC/ST Act at the earliest, action must be taken, and justice must be served – otherwise, Congress knows very well how to secure justice,” Rahul warned. “If they take action, good. If they don’t take it, then there will be some reaction. These days, inaction has a much bigger reaction,” he said. “We will ensure action is taken against the culprits. Even if BJP fails to act, the entire Congress party will not let them escape…I guarantee it,” he added. BJP fielded its dalit spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan and Sudhanshu Trivedi to counter Rahul. “Rahul always supports forces working to divide society and uses lies to set the narrative,” Paswan said. “The Congress MP jumps from one issue to another but the one theme that runs constantly is his tendency to put Hindus against each other,” Trivedi said. He cited a string of cases of violence against dalits, including in Rajasthan, Haryana and Karnataka, when Congress was in office in these states and accused the party of maintaining silence in incidents where aggressors were members of a particular community. Rahul, in reality, works to strengthen the agenda of Macaulay, Marx and ‘maulana’, he alleged Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Cow vigilantes beat Dalit man and force him to eat dung
Six men face charges after allegedly assaulting Dalit cattle buyer in front of his young son, using caste slurs and accusing him of selling bull to Muslim butcher NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Police in western India have filed a case against six suspected Hindu cow vigilantes accused of assaulting a Dalit man and forcing cow dung into his mouth after accusing him of planning to sell a bull to a Muslim butcher. The attack allegedly occurred May 23 in Jalna district in Maharashtra state but came to wider attention months later after a video of the assault circulated on social media, prompting the victim to approach police on Aug. 21. Parameshwar Suhas Hiwale told police he was returning from a weekly cattle market in Deulgaon Raja with his 11-year-old son and an acquaintance, Narayan Maroti Kamble, after purchasing a bull when their vehicle was stopped in the Kanhaiyanagar area. The men who stopped them claimed affiliation with the Hindu extremist Bajrang Dal and cow-protection groups, according to Hiwale’s complaint. They accused Hiwale of intending to sell the animal to a Muslim butcher. He denied the accusation and produced documents showing that he had purchased the bull at the cattle market. The confrontation then allegedly took a casteist turn. Hiwale said the men demanded to know his caste before abusing him with caste-based slurs and assaulting him. He alleged that his attackers then forcibly stuffed cow dung into his mouth. The men also allegedly attempted to force dung into the mouth of Hiwale’s 11-year-old son, but Hiwale resisted. Kamble, who was traveling with them, was also allegedly abused and beaten, while their vehicle was damaged. Hiwale belongs to India’s Dalit community, historically placed at the bottom of the Hindu caste hierarchy and subjected for centuries to discrimination and practices once associated with “untouchability.” The alleged attackers recorded at least part of the assault and threatened Hiwale and his family with serious consequences if they went to police, according to his complaint. Hiwale said those threats prevented him from immediately reporting the attack. He eventually approached Jalna Tehsil police after learning that footage of the incident had appeared on Instagram. Police registered a case against six identified men under provisions of India’s criminal code covering offenses including wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt and unlawful assembly. They also invoked the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, a law intended to prosecute caste-based violence, intimidation and humiliation targeting members of historically marginalized communities. Police Inspector Santosh Sable confirmed that a case had been registered, while Additional Superintendent of Police Vikram Sali said the investigation was being handled by a senior divisional police officer. Courtesy : Muslim Network TV Note: This news is originally published on https:/muslimnetworktv.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
DMK and TVK spar in House over atrocities against Dalits
Further, Velu said the figures showed that the previous government had maintained law and order and ensured that cases were registered. CHENNAI: Tempers flared in the Assembly on Friday during a heated exchange between DMK floor leader E V Velu and Minister C T R Nirmal Kumar over atrocities against Dalits during the previous DMK government. Former minister Velu dismissed as “incorrect” the statement made by PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna a day before in the Assembly that Tamil Nadu witnessed the highest number of atrocities against Dalits in the country over the past five years. Citing National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, Velu said Uttar Pradesh had recorded the highest number of cases against people belonging to the Scheduled Caste communities, followed by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra. He said Uttar Pradesh recorded around 71,000 such cases in five years, while Tamil Nadu had recorded 8,110 cases. Tamil Nadu stood 10th in cases registered under the SC category and 15th in cases involving Scheduled Tribes, he said. Further, Velu said the figures showed that the previous government had maintained law and order and ensured that cases were registered. However, Nirmal Kumar rejected the claim and alleged that many cases against Dalits were not registered during the previous DMK regime. He further cited an incident in Ramanathapuram, in which a minister had allegedly assaulted a Dalit tahsildar. Nirmal Kumar claimed that the minister’s portfolio was changed after protests, but no case was registered against him. He said that if all cases had been registered during the previous regime, Tamil Nadu would have topped the NCRB list. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
TN government school HM booked for abetment after dalit girl ends life
The HM passed a casteist remark during admission interview, ordered her out of premises MADURAI: The Caste-Hindu headmistress of a government higher secondary school was booked under abetment charges on Friday, after a 16-year-old Dalit girl died by suicide on August 25 allegedly after she ordered her out of the school for telling her mother not to keep her hands folded during an admission interview. Police identified the deceased student as P Nisanthi (16) of Ambedkar Nagar, Usilampatti. A case of suicide was registered on August 25, but altered to abetment of suicide and the HM Vimala’s name was included. Nisanthi’s uncle, P Sangili (52), a share-auto driver, said the incident took place on August 24 when Nisanthi went to the school with her mother, P Thavamani, seeking admission. Vimala inquired about the girl with her previous school. During the conversation, Thavamani was listening with folded hands, but Nisanthi tapped them down. The headmistress questioned the action, refused to admit her, allegedly passed a casteist remark, and ordered them to leave the premises. The next day, Nisanthi died by suicide. “Nisanthi was upset over the incident, which triggered her to end her life. She refused to eat and cried a lot the previous night. It happened to our child in this era and it should not happen again in society. We want action against the headmistress,” he said. Police said there was no CCTV inside the room and only the girl’s arrival and departure could be seen in the footage recorded outside. “The exact conversation between them was not clear, but the incident prompted her to end her life. Whether SC/ST Act will be invoked will be decided after the inquiry by Usilampatti DSP. As of now, the case has been converted into one of abetment of suicide,” a police source said. A school education official who held an inquiry with the headmistress stated that she denied the charges and claimed she had spoken casually without any casteist motive. A report has been submitted to the district collector. Further action against her will be decided in line with the police investigation. Nisanthi completed Class 10 at a government school in Thottappanayakanur before joining the first group at a government school in Poochipatti. However, she did not attend that school as she wanted to pursue nursing group. Later, the family approached a government-aided school in Usilampatti, where they were asked to pay `5,000. Unable to afford the amount, they approached the Government Model Higher Secondary School for admission. (To overcome suicidal thoughts, contact TN Health Department helpline 104 and Sneha’s helpline 044-24640050) Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
After the Common Man, the Convenient Bahujan: CJP Fails the Litmus Test of Representation
Yogendra Yadav sees in CJP a new Bahujan politics. But a caste mix is not automatically a Bahujan distribution of power. The real test is whether communities historically excluded from power exercise authority across the organisation. After the Common Man, the Convenient Bahujan: CJP Fails the Litmus Test of Representation Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, left, with team member Ratna Singh, centre, on August 5, 2026. Photo: PTI, via CJP Yogendra Yadav’s account of the July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar is fine political writing. It encapsulates the core of a youth mobilisation that broke through governmental fear and media silence. Nevertheless, its most ambitious claim is that this movement – led by Dalit activist Abhijeet Dipke and inspired by Sonam Wangchuk – could inaugurate a new phase of social-justice politics. “Instead of demanding its share in the nation,” Yadav writes, “Bahujan politics can now define what the nation is.” Can it, though? Or has the liberal intelligentsia simply found its next common man? The first real litmus test of CJP’s potential was not Jantar Mantar, but during a moment that occurred almost two weeks after it declared its national leadership team. According to CJP, its National Working Committee “ratified” the list of eleven leaders. It would appear from the publicly identifiable composition of CJP’s leadership that it is caste heterogeneous. However, it is disproportionately weighted towards upper-caste and regionally dominant caste groups, including Jats and Reddys. In any case, a caste mix is not automatically a Bahujan distribution of power. The relevant test is whether communities historically excluded from power exercise authority across the organisation. Representation is not merely the identity visible at the apex; it is the distribution of power throughout the institution. In the same vein, protests can tell us who is angry, but it is organisations and their composition that tells us who will get to exercise power. The CJP has yet to explain either the social rationale for this organisation or the process by which it was constituted. The importance of a Dalit convenor is undeniable, but that alone does not make it a Bahujan movement either. Representation does not lie in faces at the top; it lies in power structures below. Further, if the CJP derives its politics from the constitution, social justice cannot wait for the moment when it takes up the question with the state. It must begin at home – with who leads and holds power and whose concerns form its agenda. An organisation that cannot practice social justice in the first institution it has created cannot credibly promise to deliver it elsewhere. Yadav, especially, needs to understand this. He was part of the anti-corruption movement and was one of the founding members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which promised to transcend ordinary politics through the idea of the common man, with a discourse about corruption, education and service delivery that quietly excluded caste, class and social relations from its agenda. The similarities go beyond political ideology: six out of twelve members of CJP’s core team belong to AAP’s political world, either because they worked with the party or publicly supported it. The question that should have been asked of AAP then is the one that matters as CJP takes shape now: who, precisely, was the common man? The answer lies not in the social composition of AAP’s voters, but in the leadership it chose when it had real discretion – its national executive, Cabinet portfolios and Rajya Sabha nominations. The caste imbalance is visible without much excavation. Even after winning Punjab, where Scheduled Castes constitute nearly a third of the population, AAP sent no Dalit to the Rajya Sabha. Its 2022 nominations favoured party insiders, professionals and business figures; no Dalit, Adivasi or OBC candidate made the list. The language of the common man was addressed to lower-caste and marginalised citizens, while institutional power remained concentrated among upper-caste and socially privileged groups. Then there is Rajendra Pal Gautam, who held the position of Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment in AAP governments (2015-2022). He opposed the health department’s notification which excluded mohalla clinic contract workers from reservation policy in 2022. Months later, his presence at an event where Ambedkar’s twenty-two vows were recited was fabricated into a controversy. Being pressured by the BJP and due to the electoral sensitivity of AAP, he resigned. In private, he was questioned for supporting reservation and publicly sacrificed for being an Ambedkarite. It shows the yawning gap between symbolic and substantive representation: a Dalit minister represents inclusiveness; an assertive Dalit minister becomes a liability. The education model of AAP remains fascinating for the Indian liberal community – better classrooms, better exam results, all in the rhetoric of administrative efficiency rather than transformations of social relations. CJP seems to be joining the same league. Paper leaks and recruitment delays are real issues and readily become the agenda of “Indian youth”. Caste discrimination and the deaths of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students inside these institutions remain, as ever, a sectional footnote. The Ministry of Education, say reports, recorded 122 student suicides in centrally-funded higher education institutions between 2014 and 2021, 24 of which were of Scheduled Caste scholars, three pf Scheduled Tribes and 41 from the Other Backwards Classes (OBC). Death is only the most brutal end of a longer exclusion. India still has no continuous, caste-wise registry tracking these deaths, dropouts and complaints – and that is not oversight but evasion of accountability. Across 21 IIMs with 1,880 sanctioned faculty posts, government data count only 62 Scheduled Caste, 16 Scheduled Tribe and 109 OBC teachers. The bureaucratic verdict “not found suitable” has refused to die: a parliamentary committee condemned its continued use against Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe academics as recently as in 2025. An education movement that speaks only of paper leaks and examinations, silent on who teaches and who survives inside these institutions, is not confronting India’s educational crisis. It is choosing the part of the crisis liberal
Anaya Bangar fires back at Marizanne Kapp over transgender cricket debate
Anaya Bangar became the first Indian trans-cricketer to play in Women’s Community Cricket. She has been provided the green light by Cricket Australia (CA) to play the game. After CA allowed her to play, South Africa Women’s National Cricket Team icon Marizanne Kapp was fuming about the fact and questioned Bangar’s push for a WBBL opportunity. Now the former has replied with the same. The 25-year-old is the daughter of former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar and a former Mumbai youth-level player. However, she changed her gender back in March 2026, in Thailand, and has been outspoken for transgender athletes in the midst of a worldwide controversy over transgender rights in sports. She will look forward to many more opportunities. Anaya Bangar slams Marizanne Kapp Marizanne Kapp, while replying to CA’s post, stated that it is ridiculous to allow a player and voiced that it should not be allowed. Now replying to Kapp, Anaya Bangar said that the people and cricketers who are questioning her integrity, and also Cricket Australia, should go and educate themselves before making any comments on the fact. Australia cricket apparel Anaya, while speaking with PTI, said, “I think people who want to raise their voice against it should actually educate themselves on this topic, and I’ve already provided the necessary information in terms of not having any unfair advantage, and also complying with the guidelines set by Cricket Australia.” “If anyone’s personal opinion is in that sort of way, I hope they go and educate themselves,” she replied. She is planning to feature in the WBBL next season, but will only be allowed to play if her testosterone levels remain within prescribed limits.” “Yeah, it is very disappointing”: Anaya Bangar expresses disappointment over BCCI Apart from slamming Kapp, Anaya also shared her disappointment with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as the board did not reply to her and served her with silence, and she hopes that the BCCI changes its policies to allow some transgender cricketers to play for the country, as she is the first case in India. “Yeah, it is very disappointing and heartbreaking that I was sold with silence. And I knew that transitioning was gonna make me steer away from cricket. So I was, I’m, I’m just grateful that at least I’m getting this opportunity to play and I hope that BCCI is open to this and tries to form policies surrounding this topic since I’m the first case in India.”Choosing Cricket Gear Anaya Bangar sights eye for India Women team She further added that she would be happy to share her experience and insights with the team and through her journey and for the development of women’s cricket in the future. The BCCI currently does not have a formal regulatory policy or official guidelines regarding the participation of transgender cricketers in domestic women’s cricket. “I’d be happy to be a part of the team and provide my insights and gatherings throughout my whole journey and what would work best for our country and women’s sport in the future.” Anaya Bangar further added, “To be honest, transitioning was always about being happy and comfortable in my own skin. And I had to take the necessary steps during that time in my life to basically give up the sport that I loved.” By Anirban Bose Courtesy : Cricket Addictor Note: This news is originally published on https:/cricketaddictor.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
In uniform, back home: Trans constables return to Garima Grih for Rakhi
Raipur: For the transgender community at Garima Grih in Raipur, Raksha Bandhan this year was more than a festival of threads and sweets. The celebration carried a special sense of pride as newly appointed transgender constables returned to the centre to celebrate with members of the community. For many residents of the shelter home, who have experienced estrangement from their biological families, the sight of members of their community joining the police force and returning in uniform was a powerful symbol of acceptance, visibility and a growing place in institutions once considered beyond their reach. Residents tied rakhis to one another, recreating familial bonds within the community. One of the most touching moments came when trans woman Nikki Dhruv tied a rakhi on the wrist of her brother, Sparsh Kashyap. Poppy Devanath said Raksha Bandhan at Garima Grih was about experiencing the affection and security of a family. Transgender rights activist Vidya Rajput said many transgender persons grow up with painful distances from their parents and siblings, even though emotional bonds often remain. Celebrating Raksha Bandhan together, she said, helps recreate some of that lost sense of home. The participation of the transgender constables added a deeper significance to the occasion. In a space created to provide shelter and dignity to a community that has long fought for recognition, seeing members of their own community return in uniform reflected a larger journey from the margins towards the mainstream, with every rakhi strengthening the bond of belonging. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Not publisher of Sonia Gandhi’s memoir’: Penguin rejects ‘editorial changes’ claim
NEW DELHI: Penguin Random House India on Friday clarified that it is not the publisher of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love in India. The Publishing house rejected reports that it decided against publishing the book because the author declined editorial changes. In a statement posted on X, the publishing house said it had remained “willing and keen to publish” the memoir and stressed that fact-checking and providing editorial recommendations are a normal part of the publishing process. “In response to the news reports about Sonia Gandhi’s book ‘Belonging’, Penguin Random House India is not the publisher of ‘Belonging’ in India. Any suggestion that Penguin Random House India decided not to publish ‘Belonging’ because the author declined editorial changes does not accurately reflect the circumstances. As a publisher, it is both our prerogative and our responsibility to fact check and provide authors with recommendations that are in the best interests of their books. This is a normal part of the publishing process. Throughout the relevant discussions, Penguin Random House India’s position was that we remained willing and keen to publish the book. We will not comment further on confidential discussions with the author.” — PenguinIndia (@PenguinIndia) The clarification comes weeks after US publisher Alfred A Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House, announced that Belonging would be released on November 10. The status of the memoir’s publisher or distributor in India remains unclear. An e-commerce listing has shown an ebook edition of Belonging available for pre-order at Rs 2,615, with William Collins, an imprint of HarperCollins UK, listed as its publisher. Sonia Gandhi, 79, is expected to offer a personal account of her life, including her childhood in post-war Italy, her marriage into the Nehru-Gandhi family and the death of her husband Rajiv Gandhi, according to Alfred A Knopf. The memoir will also cover her entry into the “public world of politics” following Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination and her decision to turn down the prime minister’s post in 2004. The publisher had earlier described the book as tracing Sonia Gandhi’s life “from her childhood in post-war Italy, to the romance that brings her to India, to the shattering losses that will reshape not only her own future but also that of her adopted home”. Sonia Gandhi has rarely discussed her private life at length in public, making the memoir one of the most closely watched political books ahead of its release. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights