Congress leaders debunk Natwar Singh's claims on Rahul preventing Sonia Gandhi from becoming PM

Leaders of the Congress Party on Thursday unanimously rejected former external affairs minister K. Natwar Singh's claims of Rahul Gandhi preventing party president and his mother Sonia Gandhi from becoming prime minister in 2004.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge told ANI, "Such books get published everyday and people say a lot of things to market their books. That's why I would not like to comment on such books. These are baseless claims. If the person was close to the family, then they could have said it earlier too, but they are saying it now to sell their books."

Senior Congress leader Ambika Soni said, "Natwar Singh is saying all this after ten years. All I can say is that if his claims were true, then it was his responsibility to come out with this earlier. Today, if he is saying this, then it is baseless."

Another Congress leader Rashid Alvi said, "He is saying all this after so many years, people will not believe it. Whatever has been written, will not harm Sonia Gandhi's prestige in any way, it will only boomerang on him."

Former union minister K Natwar Singh has in his autobiography claimed that Sonia Gandhi had opted out of becoming the prime minister in 2004 as her son Rahul Gandhi was afraid that she might meet the same fate as his father (Rajiv Gandhi) and grandmother (Indira Gandhi), both of whom were assassinated in 1991 and 1984 respectively.