BJP attacks Congress over Sonia Gandhi memoir claims on 1984 riots

Political tensions have escalated following the launch of Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi's autobiography, with the ruling BJP questioning key assertions in the book regarding historical events during the 1984 communal riots.

The BJP has targeted claims in the memoir related to the military's role during the 1984 anti-Sikh violence that followed Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination. Party representatives have alleged inaccuracies in the Congress leader's account, accusing the opposition party of attempting to revise historical narratives to suit political interests.

Congress leaders have mounted a defence of the memoir, rejecting what they characterise as a politicisation of the autobiography. The controversy has also seen the BJP resurrect the Bofors scandal—a major corruption allegation from the late 1980s—as a line of attack against Gandhi.

The dispute reflects continuing tensions between India's ruling coalition and the Congress party over historical interpretations of significant events during the latter's decades of political dominance. Both sides have used the memoir's release as an opportunity to reassert competing narratives of India's recent past.