Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], November 12 (ANI): Congress MLA Raj Thakur on Thursday welcomed the launch of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi's memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, saying the book reflects her personal journey and sacrifices for the nation.

Speaking to ANI, Thakur said Sonia Gandhi's life and sacrifices were known across the world and that her journey was one that touched people's hearts.

"The book launch of Sonia Gandhi is something that touches everyone's heart. The world is well aware of her sacrifices and her personal journey," he told ANI.

The Congress MLA said Sonia Gandhi belongs to the Gandhi family, which played a significant role in India's freedom struggle, and recalled her association with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

'She belongs to the Gandhi family that fought for an independent India long ago. Later, Sonia Gandhi's own character and path began alongside Rajiv Gandhi,' he said.

Thakur further highlighted the hardships faced by Sonia Gandhi throughout her life, stating that she had made immense sacrifices for the country.

'She has endured immense hardships for the sake of the nation,' he added.

Meanwhile, Sonia Gandhi, in her memoir, has revealed for the first time that she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery in 2010.

Recalling the health challenges she faced during the second term of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Sonia Gandhi wrote that she had not experienced any major health complications until then, apart from occasional asthma and allergies.

'Our second UPA term brought me some personal challenges. Apart from occasional bouts of asthma and allergies, I'd had no serious health troubles until then. As my doctors pointed out, stress is one of the main causes of stomach disorders, and, sure enough, these became frequent and worsened as I grew older and got drawn into politics myself,' she wrote in her book.

Sonia Gandhi goes on to write that doctors at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital had advised her to undergo surgery, and although she had full faith in the doctors, she chose to go abroad for treatment as she wanted to keep things private.

The memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, chronicles Gandhi's childhood in post-war Italy, her relationship with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Cambridge, her entry into the Nehru-Gandhi family and personal tragedies, including the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

The book also revisits several politically significant and sensitive episodes in India's history, including the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, the 2002 Gujarat riots, Operation Blue Star, the Emergency, the 2004 Prime Ministerial episode and the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement.

The memoir has triggered a fresh political confrontation, with BJP leaders accusing the former Congress president of attempting to 'whitewash' the historical record of the Nehru-Gandhi family, while Congress leaders have defended her right to share her personal experiences and recollections. (ANI)