Prayagraj: Bharatiya Janata Party MP Rita Bahuguna Joshi's book 'Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna: Conductor of Indian Public Consciousness' on her father's life, which will be released by the Vice President on May 4 in the capital Delhi has created controversy before its release.
The author has mentioned the struggle of her father and the deteriorated relationship with former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi against whom Joshi has also made many allegations. The BJP MP has accused Indira Gandhi of not allowing any other leader to progress, as well as of raising her sons for the posts. It has also been said in the book that Indira Gandhi was “very frightened by the growing stature of Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna”.
She has also mentioned in the book that apart from Rajendra Kumari Bajpayee and former Prime Minister VP Singh, there were some other leaders who often told the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that Bahuguna is aspiring to become the PM of the country. The book says that the relationship between Indira Gandhi and Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna soured due to backbiting against Bahuguna with the Emergency further widening the communication “because Bahuguna raised his voice calling the Emergency's decision wrong”. It has also been mentioned in the book that Rajendra Kumari Bajpayee, a senior Congress leader, used to speak ill of Bahuguna to Indira Gandhi.
The family of Rajendra Kumari Bajpayee has termed the allegations as baseless and nonsense. The book by the BJP MP also mentions Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan. Although no direct allegations have been made against him, it has been said that Amitabh Bachchan was made to contest the election by Rajiv Gandhi.
The book says Bachchan was made to contest the election of MP from Allahabad, “because the Gandhi family knew that no other leader could defeat Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna. For this reason, a film star like Amitabh Bachchan was fielded against a veteran politician. For the first time in North India, a film star contested the election and defeated Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna the election”.
“One should not give tickets to any film artist. Losing the election of good and big leaders in politics is also not right. Film personalities come directly from the screen to the public and contest elections and win,” reads a book excerpt. “But the defeat in their victory goes to the leader, who is really necessary for the development of the people and the region,” it reads.
Veteran Congress leader in Prayagraj Abhay Awasthi denied these allegations and said that Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna and Rajendra Kumari Bajpai were in different factions “and the political competition between the two was going on from the beginning, which is well known”. The Congress leaders said that Indira Gandhi herself was born and brought up in Prayagraj and knew very well about the leaders and people here. “No one could backbite about Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna”.
Meanwhile, it is being said that after the release of the book, there may be a tussle between Rita Bahuguna Joshi, MP from Allahabad parliamentary constituency of Prayagraj, and the family of the city North MLA Harshvardhan Bajpai as Joshi has accused Bajpai's grandmother of backbiting against her father. Joshi is said to have made similar allegations against leaders like former Prime Minister VP Singh, Banshilal, and Siddharth Shankar Rai. The book is on the life of Joshi's father and former UP Chief Minister Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna.
All eyes are now on the release of the book on May 4 in the capital of Delhi.
Also read: Rita Bahuguna Joshi offers to quit as MP if her son given ticket
