Cong supporter seeks injunction on Natwar Singh’s book

A Congress supporter filed a petition in a district court in Delhi on Tuesday to stop the publication of former foreign minister Natwar Singh’s autobiography on the grounds that it is derogatory to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

A Congress supporter filed a petition in a district court in Delhi on Tuesday to stop the publication of former foreign minister Natwar Singh’s autobiography on the grounds that it is derogatory to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Asad Alvi, a Supreme Court advocate, said he was upset by Singh’s “indecent, derogatory statements against Mrs Sonia Gandhi in his book”, (One Life is Not Enough).

Singh, a former confidant of the Gandhi family, caused a political stir last week with his revelation that Sonia Gandhi turned down the prime minister’s job a decade ago following an appeal by her son, Rahul, who feared she would be assassinated.

Alvi asked the court to restrain Singh and the publisher, Rupa Publications India, from publishing, distributing and circulating the book, which also describes Sonia Gandhi as a “prima donna” and “Machiavellian”.

The petition said that apart from meaning lead dancer, the phrase prima donna also means “spoilt brat”, and Machiavellian means “insidious, conniving, two-faced”.

Alvi said he was offended by various other statements in the book, including Singh’s disclosure about Sonia Gandhi’s decision to not accept the post of Prime Minister in 2004.