Gehlot recalls being present in Parliament when Sonia Gandhi declined PM's post in 2004

     Jaipur, Nov 10 (PTI) Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday recalled being present in Parliament when Sonia Gandhi declined the prime minister's post in 2004, saying her decision reflected her commitment to the Congress and the country.

     His remarks came on the release of Sonia Gandhi's memoir, "Belonging: A Journey of Love", in which she has described her decision not to become prime minister despite the support of Congress and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) leaders.

     In a post on X, Gehlot said he was a witness to the "historic day" when UPA MPs wanted Sonia Gandhi to take the country's highest executive office.

     "I was personally present in the Central Hall of Parliament on that historic day, when all UPA MPs wanted Smt. Sonia Gandhi to become the Prime Minister of India," he said.

     Gehlot said leaders of the Congress and its allies had expressed the same wish, but Sonia Gandhi chose to place the interests of the party and the nation above the post.

     He described her political journey as an example of sacrifice, dedication and struggle.

     "Yet, she humbly declined it," Gehlot said, referring to the prime minister's post.

     The Congress leader said Sonia Gandhi's priority at the time was to counter the politics of the RSS and BJP.

     He claimed that the Gandhi family continued to pose the biggest ideological challenge to the BJP and the RSS.

     "Even today, the Gandhi family stands in the front line as the biggest ideological challenge to the divisive ideology of the RSS and the BJP," he said.

     Gehlot alleged that the Nehru-Gandhi family had faced conspiracies, personal attacks and political challenges over the years but continued to fight for constitutional values, democracy, social harmony and national unity.

     He said Sonia Gandhi's decision showed that politics was not merely about acquiring power but also about making sacrifices for one's ideology and principles.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)