Sonia Gandhi is telling her truth after years of BJP, RSS lies, says Priyanka

• Priyanka Gandhi Vadra defended Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, saying her mother had the right to recount her life after years of false stories about her

• Her remarks followed BJP criticism of the book’s treatment of the Emergency and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots

• The Wayanad MP also demanded accountability from the Centre over ethanol-blended petrol and accused it of suppressing public questioning

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday defended her mother Sonia Gandhi’s right to tell her own story through her memoir, accusing the BJP and RSS of circulating falsehoods about the former Congress president for decades.

Speaking to reporters, the Wayanad MP also questioned the Centre over ethanol blending in petrol, saying the government was constitutionally accountable to citizens for its decisions.

Responding to BJP criticism of Sonia Gandhi’s recently released memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, Priyanka said her mother had largely remained silent while others made claims about her personal and public life.

“They have told lies, they have fabricated stories, they have completely invented things and she has been quiet. Now she is telling her story. She has a right to tell her story,” she said.

Priyanka argued that those who had attacked her mother over the years were now dismissing her account because she was presenting her version of events.

“Anyways, I am very happy they are reading her book,” she added.

The memoir, released on Tuesday, has drawn sharply differing political responses. The BJP accused Sonia Gandhi of seeking to justify the imposition of the Emergency in 1975 and absolve her late husband, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The ruling party described the book as an exercise in “whitewashing” and also accused her of selective concern for victims of violence.

Priyanka said the memoir set out what her mother wished to explain and how she viewed her experiences.

“Everyone has their own personal point of view. Everyone has their own story, right,” she said.

Questions over ethanol blending

On fuel, Priyanka said consumers were entitled to answers about ethanol being mixed into petrol while they continued to pay high prices.

She accused the central government of behaving as though its decisions were beyond public scrutiny and of attempting to silence people, particularly young protesters, when they demanded explanations.

“They think they can do what they want and people will not ask questions,” she said, accusing the authorities of using force, arrests and restrictions on protests to discourage dissent.

Priyanka said accountability applied equally to rising prices and other problems affecting citizens.

“The government is accountable to the people for every single action it takes. That is what a democracy is according to our constitution,” she said.

Her remarks come as Lok Sabha leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi continues to raise concerns about ethanol blending.

The Karnataka government recently said inspections had detected ethanol content above the stated 20 per cent limit in petrol at several outlets.

Separately, authorities in Kerala inspected fuel outlets across four districts on 9 November and collected samples for testing. The information provided did not include findings from those tests.

With PTI inputs