‘We may never know full truth behind Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination’: Sonia Gandhi tells The Guardian

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has expressed doubts that the full truth behind her husband Rajiv Gandhi's 1991 assassination will ever emerge, alleging that intelligence warnings about threats to his life were ignored before he was killed.

In a rare interview with The Guardian, published on Saturday, Gandhi also reflected on the assassinations of two members of India's most influential political dynasty, her reluctant entry into politics and the decline of the Congress party.

The 79-year-old politician said she had long feared Rajiv would be assassinated after his mother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who was shot dead by her bodyguards in October 1984.

Rajiv, who succeeded his mother as prime minister and served until 1989, was killed by a suicide bomber from the Sri Lankan separatist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) while campaigning for elections in May 1991.

Sonia told the British newspaper that she later learned Indian intelligence agencies had intercepted threats against Rajiv from the LTTE, which opposed India's intervention in Sri Lanka's civil war.

She alleged that the warnings were disregarded and that his highest level of security protection had been withdrawn by the government.

Sonia said she continued to believe that questions about a possible wider conspiracy behind the assassination remained unanswered.

"I don't think we will get the truth now," she told The Guardian.

The interview, conducted by journalist Hannah Ellis-Petersen ahead of the publication of Sonia's memoir Belonging, offered an unusually personal account of her life within the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Born into a working-class family in northern Italy, Sonia met Rajiv in Cambridge in the 1960s while studying at a language school. She said she initially knew little about his family's political significance.

Rajiv was the grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, and the son of Indira Gandhi, who became the country's first female prime minister in 1966.

The couple married in 1968, and Sonia moved to India, where she gradually became part of the household of one of the country's most powerful political figures.

Despite her proximity to power, Sonia said she had little interest in politics and preferred family life with Rajiv, who initially worked as a commercial airline pilot.

She also recalled the tensions surrounding Indira Gandhi's decision to impose a state of emergency in 1975, when civil liberties were curtailed, opposition politicians were detained and press freedoms were severely restricted.

According to Sonia, Rajiv opposed the emergency, while his younger brother Sanjay supported the crackdown.

Looking back, she acknowledged that Indira's decision had been a mistake, although she maintained that her mother-in-law remained committed to democratic values.

The family's life changed dramatically on October 31, 1984, when Indira was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards following the Indian Army's operation at the Golden Temple in Amritsar earlier that year.

Sonia recalled rushing to Indira after hearing gunfire and accompanying her to hospital, where she realised her mother-in-law was unlikely to survive.

Rajiv subsequently became prime minister, a development Sonia said she had desperately opposed because of the dangers associated with political leadership.

Following Indira's assassination, security around the family intensified. Rahul and Priyanka, the couple's two children, faced restrictions on their movements, while armed guards were deployed around their home.

Sonia described living with constant anxiety about Rajiv's safety, particularly when he travelled.

"My thought was always: he will be killed next," she said.

Her fears were realised seven years later when Rajiv was assassinated during an election campaign in Tamil Nadu.

The loss left Sonia devastated. Her daughter Priyanka, who attended The Guardian interview, recalled her mother spending long periods alone, overwhelmed by grief.

Although relatives encouraged her to return to Italy, Sonia said she considered India her home and could not imagine leaving.

From reluctant politician to Congress leader

Sonia initially resisted calls to enter politics after Rajiv's death, but eventually accepted the Congress presidency in 1998 as the party struggled with internal divisions and declining electoral fortunes.

She said her decision was motivated by a sense of responsibility towards her late husband rather than personal political ambition.

Under her leadership, Congress returned to power following the 2004 general election, ending the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government's tenure.

Despite being widely expected to become prime minister, Sonia declined the position. Manmohan Singh subsequently headed the Congress-led government.

Sonia remained the party's most influential leader for years, becoming its longest-serving president before handing the leadership to her son Rahul Gandhi in 2017.

However, Congress has suffered major electoral setbacks since Narendra Modi and the BJP came to power in 2014.

The party has also faced persistent criticism over dynastic politics and its dependence on the Gandhi family.

Asked why Congress remained closely associated with her family, Sonia told The Guardian that the question should be directed to the party itself.

She defended the family's participation in electoral politics but acknowledged that Congress had made mistakes that contributed to the BJP's rise.

Sonia also recalled watching the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in December 1992, describing it as a defining moment in the struggle over India's secular identity.

The mosque was demolished by Hindu nationalist activists who claimed the site was the birthplace of the Hindu deity Ram.

In 2024, Modi inaugurated a Hindu temple built at the disputed site.

Criticism of Modi government

Turning to contemporary politics, Sonia sharply criticised Modi's government, accusing it of weakening democratic institutions and restricting space for political opposition.

She said parliamentary debate and consultation between the government and opposition had deteriorated significantly compared with earlier periods.

Sonia also accused the BJP of targeting Congress leaders and creating an atmosphere in which criticism of the government had become increasingly difficult.

The BJP has repeatedly rejected opposition allegations that it is undermining democracy.

The interview also addressed controversy surrounding the publication of Sonia's memoir.

She alleged that Penguin Random House India had been uncomfortable with criticism of the government in her manuscript and that the publisher ultimately did not proceed with the book.

The publisher disputed her account, denying that its decision resulted from her refusal to accept editorial changes.

The memoir is now being published through another imprint.

Despite Congress's political difficulties, Sonia said she remained encouraged by younger Indians taking part in demonstrations and challenging government policies.

She also expressed support for Rahul and Priyanka's continued political involvement, despite once hoping her children would avoid the dangers of public life.

Now largely removed from the party's daily operations, Sonia continues to follow political developments while spending more time with her family.

Her account presents a political life shaped by personal tragedy, a reluctant assumption of leadership and an enduring struggle over the future of the Congress party.