Dr Sanjaya Baru was the PM's media advisor between 2004-2008 (File photo)
The new controversial book by
Sanjaya Baru, a former aide to the Prime Minister, has been described as "nothing but a stab in the back... a huge betrayal of trust" by Dr Manmohan Singh's daughter, Upinder Singh.
A History professor at Delhi University, Ms Singh has said that Mr Baru's account of his term as the Prime Minister's media advisor cannot be described as "unbiased."
"It is an audacious account with so-called quotes, of even the Prime Minister, which have been recorded as facts.
Reported speech has been used as direct speech. Is this ethical?" she was quoted as saying by the Indian Express today. (
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Mr Baru's book, titled 'The Accidental Prime Minister: The making and unmaking of Manmohan Singh', released just days ago, paints a damning portrait of a premier who was in office but "not in power" -- while Congress president Sonia Gandhi called the shots. (
Also read: Manmohan Singh is the super PM: Priyanka on row over Sanjaya Baru's comments)
Yesterday, another book by former Coal Secretary PC Parakh, provided another blow - it accuses Dr Singh of being weak and unable to stem corruption on his watch, further embarrassing the Congress in the midst of a bitter poll campaign. (
In election season, another insider's book deals blow for Congress)
The two books come right in the midst of India's multi-phase election.
The PM's daughter said that Mr Baru had misled her into believing that his book would be published after the election.
"To me, there are other reasons for the timing. It is absurd to say there is no political motive.
Sanjaya Baru cannot describe himself as a well-wisher of the Prime Minister," she said in her newspaper interview.
"In both the books, the PM is shown as somebody who was not in control. The (Gandhi) family can no longer run away from the responsibility of answering the serious questions raised in the books," BJP spokeswoman Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters.