BJP MP unveils book on father HN Bahuguna
PRAYAGRAJ: The relationship between former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi soured because of backbiting by former PM VP Singh and a former lieutenant governor of Puducherry Rajendra Kumari Bajpai. The two senior leaders used to plant rumours and conspire against Bahuguna.
These and many other startling claims have been made in detail in the book ‘Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna: Conductor of Indian Public Consciousness’ written by Bahuguna’s daughter and now BJP MP from Allahabad, Rita Bahuguna Joshi. The book, to be released by the vicepresident, Venkaiah Naidu, in New Delhi on May 4, has been co-authored by veteran journalist late Ram Naresh Tripathi of Prayagraj.
In her book, which has many lesser-known details pertaining to the life of HN Bahuguna, right from his childhood days to his days in active politics, describes how he was mentored by iconic political figures like Kamla Pati Tripathi, among others.
“Former PM VP Singh, who had been a minister in the state government and Rajendra Kumari Bajpai, who was also a three-time MP, used to plant wrong facts against my father,” said Rita Joshi while talking to HT. “In my 325-page book, I have tried to be impartial, free of any political bias and have recalled events of my father’s life from his childhood days till his death,” she said, adding, “The book is more of a perspective of a political observer as the incidents mentioned in the book are only based on facts and what I have witnessed myself.”
“My father believed that Raja Manda, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, did not have the vision of running the country as he did not possess the ability to run the nation. If given the chance, he could ruin the nation,” she writes in her book.
“VP Singh was given membership of the Congress by my mother, Kamala Bahuguna, who also fought with Indira to give a ticket to Singh for his first poll fight,” she writes.
Referring to souring of relations between her father and Indira Gandhi, she writes that in the 1980 elections, her father wanted tickets for 30 people, but Indira refused. During those days, Sanjay Gandhi was in control of the Congress party and since my father was a self-respecting person, he never cowed down to Sanjay Gandhi.
The book also mentions the emergency. “My father questioned Indira over the phone about what she had done. No one had the courage to question Indira Gandhi but my father stood up against what was wrong.”