Brought to you by Rajasthan Cong: book slamming Sonia

But instead of singing paeans in his chief’s praise, the author Manchand Khanela, a vice-president of the party’s intellectual cell, uses a wide range of arguments to project Sonia as a manipulative ‘Maharani’, criticise the tenures of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi and rues the return of ‘dynastic rule.’ In his 250-plus page treatise the author is, however, full of sympathy and praise for sworn Sonia detractors like Sushma Swaraj.

‘‘It does not matter if I am a Congressman. This is my objective assessment of Sonia Gandhi and her politics.

The gist of this book is that Sonia wanted to become the PM but backed out after she got trapped in some legal issues, calling it sacrifice,’’ author Khandela told The Indian Express.

The PCC, which had released the book with great fanfare at the state chief’s residence, refused to comment saying its team would read the controversial book before reaching a conclusion.

Some of the controversial extracts and arguments used by the author:

• When Sushma Swaraj threatened to launch a stir if Sonia became PM, the Congress president got scared. What was Sushma’s fault? It was Sonia who turned out to be weak and backed down.

• Sonia’s decision to decline the PM’s post was not a sacrifice but political compulsion. The decision was not the voice of her conscience.

• The entire scene in Parliament’s Central hall was like a darbar, where the Maharani was listening to her praise surrounded by sycophants. If Sonia really wanted to decline the post, what was the need for all this tamasha?

• Rahul Gandhi: Sycophants surround Sonia every time the Gandhi Darbar comes into power. And this time a young prince, who likes to talk big, has also become part of this darbar. He has the illusion that he has the divine right to rule India.

• Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru: The country has seen the character of the Congress for 45 years. Indira Gandhi won on the garibi hatao slogan but only promoted corruption. The basic problems of people like drinking water, education, health facilities have not been solved so many years after Independence. Since the Nehru-Gandhi family has been in power for a majority of these years, why should not they be held guilty?