The Congress on Tuesday dubbed the book by Sanjaya Baru, former media adviser to Prime Minister, as “mother of all plants”. In a Press statement, the party dwelt at length over the book by Baru terming his account as “baseless and riddled with contradictions” and the equation between Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi as “inspiring”.
“The political relationship between the PM and the Congress president is an inspiring example of the great democratic tradition of selfless cooperation of political leaders in the best interests of our nation, established and fostered in the Congress by Mahatma Gandhi,” it said, adding that the former media adviser had no privileged access or inside knowledge.
The statement came close on the heels of BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi latching on to the book to mock at Singh and targeting Sonia and Rahul, saying they wielded the real power instead of the PM.
The Congress also questioned the timing of the release of Baru’s book ‘Accidental Prime Minister — The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh’ and former coal secretary PC Parakh’s book ‘Crusader or ConspiratorIJ Coalgate and Other Truths’.
Dismissing allegations of differences between the PM and Sonia, AICC general secretary Ajay Maken said that both have the “best of relations and trust among each other”. At the AICC briefing, Maken termed as unfortunate the timing of the release of two books and alleged that the authors have played into the hands of the political opponents of the Congress by releasing the books in the midst of elections.
Giving point by point rebuttal to the central issue of Baru’s book — the PM and Sonia’s relationship — the Congress said it is “just a compilation of baseless and planted speculative gossip”.
In lucknow, Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmad termed the release of books as a “conspiracy” against Congress.
On Parakh’s book, Maken said timing of its release “perplexed all of us”. He said Parakh is 68 years old and he came out with the book eight years after retirement when CBI had nabbed him in the coal scam.
“It is hardly surprising that Baru’s book lacks any hard facts, insights or analysis, or anything new. Baru had a limited role in the PMO. He was no political insider,” The Congress said. The party accused Baru of lack of integrity and devaluing the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Congress said Baru fails to explain how exactly he came to know of the “differences” that he so authoritatively chronicles when he had access neither to their one-on-one interactions nor to Government files and when the said differences were not publicly aired.