IndiaPosted at: Nov 7 2026 4:24PM


Rahul Gandhi pays emotional tribute to Sonia, celebrates her 60 years in public life

New Delhi, Nov 7 (UNI) Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday, paid an affectionate tribute to his mother and Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, celebrating her six decades in public life and praising her enduring commitment to values of loyalty, sincerity, compassion and responsibility.
In a heartfelt message on social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi shared an excerpt from an interview Sonia Gandhi gave to The Hindu ahead of the publication of her forthcoming book, Belonging: A Journey of Love. Accompanying the excerpt, he wrote: “Sixty years in public life, and still the same person. Proud of you, Ma.”
Reflecting on the values that have guided her through six decades of personal and public life, Sonia Gandhi said that despite the changes and challenges she had encountered over the years, she had made every effort to remain faithful to the principles she imbibed while growing up.
“The values that I learnt growing up survive. I have tried my best to be true to them: loyalty to family and friends, sincerity and feeling for others, the idea of being dutiful and responsible. I think I can say that in these I am the same person Rajiv met sixty years ago,” she said.
Her reference to Rajiv Gandhi, whom she married in 1968, gave the reflection a deeply personal dimension, taking it back to the beginning of their relationship, long before she became a central figure in India's political landscape.
Sonia Gandhi's six decades in public life have encompassed a remarkable journey from relative political obscurity to becoming one of the most influential leaders of the Congress. Following the assassination of her husband and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, she eventually entered active politics and assumed the leadership of the Congress in 1998. She remained its president until 2017, making her the longest-serving president in the party's history, and returned as interim president from 2019 to 2022.
She also played a pivotal role in the formation and functioning of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which governed the country from 2004 to 2014. Although she chose not to become Prime Minister, her political leadership and stewardship of the UPA made her a central figure in national politics during the decade.
Her forthcoming book, Belonging: A Journey of Love, is expected to offer further insights into her personal journey, relationships and experiences, while the interview offers a glimpse into the principles she believes have remained unchanged through the passage of time.
Rahul Gandhi's brief but deeply personal message celebrated not just his mother's extraordinary political journey and longevity in public life, but also the continuity of the personal values that, in her own words, have remained integral to the person she was when Rajiv Gandhi first met her six decades ago.
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