Natwar Singh rakes up Sonia Gandhi`s Italian origin
Estranged Gandhi family loyalist K Natwar Singh, a former external affairs minister, today raked up Sonia Gandhi`s Italian origin, suggesting that her "ruthless" side came from it.
New Delhi: Estranged Gandhi family loyalist K Natwar Singh, a former external affairs minister, today raked up Sonia Gandhi`s Italian origin, suggesting that her "ruthless" side came from it as "no Indian would have treated me" like she did to him.
Singh (83), who quit Congress in 2008 after he had to resign from the UPA-I Government in 2005 over his alleged involvement in Iraqi food-for-oil scam, also said Indian Peace-Keeping Force(IPKF) was sent to Sri Lanka in 1987 by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi without "clear briefings and objectives" and that his Lankan policy ended in his assassination.
When asked in an interview to Karan Thapar on Headlines Today if he was fonder of Rajiv than Sonia, he snapped back saying it was so because "he did not behave like his wife did".
"No Indian would treat a man who was loyal to family for 45 years who had been very close to her... It`s just not done in India. There is a part (of Sonia) which is ruthless," he said.
Asked if that was her Italian part, he shot back, asking what else can it be, adding, "some part of it is not Indian".
"Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi would not be like that," he added.
On the IPKF fiasco, Singh came across protective of the Rajiv, saying he cannot be "singled out" for it and that everybody in government was responsible. Rajiv was too trusting a man, he said.
Singh also claimed that the decision by Rajiv to send troops as part of IPKF to Sri Lanka was taken by him without consulting his Cabinet or top officials.
He had claimed yesterday that Sonia declined to become Prime Minister in 2004 because of strong opposition from her son Rahul Gandhi who feared she would be killed like his father if she accepted the post. It was not due to her "inner voice", as she had then claimed, he had said.
Singh was speaking about his autobiography titled "One Life is Not Enough: An Autobiography", which is due to be released soon.
Singh, who was Minister of State for External Affairs in Rajiv`s government, said that during the first 18 months of his tenure the prime minister depended wholly on "a team of ignoramuses with inflated egos".
One claimed to be a socialist while one was an inept political "wheeler-dealer" and the third was a meddling nuisance, Singh said.
He identified two of them as Gopi Arora and Arun Nehru, both dead, but declined to name the third one as he was very old and the matter was not so important now.
Singh also claimed that `Operation Brasstacks`, which brought India and Pakistan close to war, was cooked up by then Minister of State for Defence Arun Singh and then Army Chief K Sundarji and that they kept Rajiv "in the dark".
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.