Now Reading: BJP’s Trivedi says Sonia Gandhi became ‘Super PM’ after giving up post
-
01
BJP’s Trivedi says Sonia Gandhi became ‘Super PM’ after giving up post
The Story in Brief
BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, accused Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of giving up the Prime Minister's post in 2004 only to become a 'Super PM' as chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC), which he said carried Cabinet Minister rank and fell under Office of Profit provisions. Addressing a press conference, Trivedi said Gandhi exercised considerable influence over the UPA government through the role. He also questioned her account of watching the Ayodhya demolition live, calling it part of the Congress's 'organised anti-India and anti-Hindu mindset', and rejected her claim in the memoir that Rajiv Gandhi was against the Emergency.
Trivedi's remarks follow the release of Gandhi's memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', on Tuesday, 10 November 2026. In the book, she recounts declining the Prime Minister's post after the Congress-led alliance won the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, citing opposition from her children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra due to the trauma of family assassinations. She says she nominated Manmohan Singh for the post after following her 'inner voice'.
Update, 11 November 2026: New Indian Express reports that Trivedi also rejected Sonia Gandhi's claim in her memoir that Rajiv Gandhi was against the Emergency, alleging he had supported it on various occasions. Trivedi further said the NAC chairperson was put out of Office of Profit provisions by the Manmohan Singh government after controversy forced Gandhi's resignation, a detail not in the earlier sources.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Hindustan Times and Times of India lead with Trivedi's 'Super PM' jibe and the memoir's account of Gandhi's family trauma, staying strictly descriptive. Open The Magazine adds a separate line of attack: Trivedi questioning whether Gandhi could have watched the Ayodhya demolition live, and his charge of an 'organised anti-India and anti-Hindu mindset' – a distinctly sharper ideological framing. New Indian Express adds a third flank: Trivedi rejecting Gandhi's claim that Rajiv Gandhi was against the Emergency, calling it 'blame-game', and alleging a rule change to exempt the NAC chairman from Office of Profit. The pro-government frame expands the attack from governance into history and religion, the uniform neutral-reporting frame sticks to Trivedi's press conference remarks without endorsing or challenging them. The key open point is whether the Congress will respond to the Ayodhya and Emergency claims.
Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
Sources (3): Syndicated copy (carried by hindustantimes.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com), openthemagazine.com (neutral report), newindianexpress.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
