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12 things Natwar Singh's book says about Sonia Gandhi

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Natwar Singh's autobiography One Life Is Not Enough comprises of 22 Chapters. Chapter number 20 is dedicated to the Congress President, simply titled "Sonia Gandhi". Compiled below are some of the things he says about her in the book.

1. Natwar Singh writes that Sonia Gandhi was unhappy with former Prime Minister PV ​Narasimha Rao for slow progress in the trial of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. ​Rao felt Sonia Gandhi's behaviour towards him was like a "slap in the face" and confided to Natwar Singh that Sonia Gandhi's hostile attitude was affecting his health. Read More

2. In September 1995, there was apparently a death threat to Sonia Gandhi's life from the Babbar Khalsa group. Still, she decided to carry on with her normal routine and went to attend a conference in Trivandrum where there were apprehensions of an attack on her. Read More

3. Natwar Singh claims that initially, Sonia Gandhi would take nearly six to eight hours to prepare for a speech. But she soon got over the situation. Senior leader Jairam Ramesh used to draft the speeches. Natwar Singh says he used to be present during the preparation. Read More

4. Both Jairam Ramesh and Arjun Singh have had instances when they fell out of favour with Sonia Gandhi. Natwar Singh claims that he intervened to smooth out the differences. Read More

5. Natwar Singh believes that any other leader in place of Sonia Gandhi would have been shown the door for incorrectly claiming that they have majority in front of the President in 1999. 

6. Once in New York in 2003, Sonia Gandhi attended a conference with other Congress leaders but she was devoid of any security. Natwar Singh says he called up then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who arranged for her security within half an hour. Read More

7. Rahul Gandhi intervened and stopped Sonia Gandhi from becoming prime minister in 2004. The Congress President was visibly agonised and in tears, but in the end, Rahul Gandhi had his way, writes Natwar. Read More

8. Natwar Singh says that only he and Manmohan Singh were aware that Sonia Gandhi would announce Manmohan Singh's name as Prime Minister in 2004. Read More

9. Sonia Gandhi was under pressure from America to not appoint Natwar Singh as External Affairs Minister in 2004, he writes.

10. Sonia Gandhi discreetly kept a watch on the working of all important ministries. Natwar Singh claims that there was a mole in his office who supplied information to the Congress President and that his relation with Sonia Gandhi started to turn sour from that time. 

11. Natwar Singh writes that Sonia Gandhi's behaviour after the Volcker report was published was vicious and venomous. 

12. According to Natwar Singh, Sonia Gandhi has been treated like royalty and has behaved like a prima donna. Read More Her transformation has been from a diffident, nervous, shy person to an ambitious, authoritarian and stern leader. Her authority in the Congress party is more firm than that of Jawaharlal Nehru and every dissent in the party is smothered, he says. But beyond all the posturing, Sonia Gandhi is an ordinary and insecure person, he writes.

Also Read: Knives out in Congress, who asked Sonia Gandhi to visit Natwar Singh?

Also Read: 6 things that former Gandhi family confidante Natwar Singh has 'revealed' about Sonia Gandhi

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