'I can see Papa smiling and looking down proudly at his beautiful Sonia': Rahul Gandhi's emotional tribute to his mother
PTC Web Desk: Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday paid an emotional tribute to his mother, Sonia Gandhi, remembering the strength and dignity with which she faced life after the death of his father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi shared the heartfelt message on the occasion of Rajiv Gandhi’s 82nd birth anniversary. He spoke about the difficult years his mother went through following Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in 1991 and said he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi were among the few people who truly understood what she had endured.
Mama,
I last saw you and Papa together more than 35 years ago. Since the day Papa left, I have watched you face everything life threw at you with never-ending courage and dignity. Only Priyanka and I really know what you have been through, and how difficult your life after Papa… pic.twitter.com/OYumcZ2hnC — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 20, 2026
Addressing Sonia Gandhi affectionately as “Mama”, Rahul recalled the last time he saw his parents together, more than 35 years ago.
“Since the day Papa left, I have watched you face everything life threw at you with never-ending courage and dignity. Only Priyanka and I really know what you have been through, and how difficult your life after Papa truly was,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi also expressed his happiness and pride over Sonia Gandhi’s decision to share her life story through her upcoming memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love.
He said he understood how difficult it must have been for someone as private as his mother to open up and share deeply personal experiences with the world.
“Today, on his birthday, I can see Papa smiling and looking down proudly at his beautiful Sonia,” Rahul Gandhi said in his post.
On my father’s birthday today, I think he would have been especially proud of my mother for having written her story with so much heart and honesty.
For me, it’s one of the greatest love stories of our time. I feel privileged to have witnessed it and I am happy that through her… — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 20, 2026
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also remembered her parents on Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary and shared an emotional message about Sonia Gandhi.
She said Rajiv Gandhi would have been proud of his wife for telling her story with “so much heart and honesty”.
Describing her parents' relationship as “one of the greatest love stories of our time”, Priyanka said she felt privileged to have witnessed their bond.
She added that Sonia Gandhi’s memoir would give readers an opportunity to know her not only as a public figure but also as a woman who was brave, loyal, compassionate, strong and full of life.
“Love you, ma and so, so proud of you,” Priyanka ended her post.
Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, is scheduled to be released on November 10. Publisher Alfred A Knopf announced the publication earlier this week, while Penguin Random House India is yet to confirm the book’s India release date.
The memoir is expected to offer a personal account of Sonia Gandhi’s journey, beginning with her childhood in post-war Italy and her eventual marriage to Rajiv Gandhi.
The book also explores her transition into one of India’s most prominent political families and the personal tragedies that shaped her life.
Among the experiences covered are Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, the death of Sanjay Gandhi and her relationship with former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi also writes about learning Hindi and adjusting to life in India.
Her decision to enter politics following Rajiv Gandhi’s death and her refusal to become Prime Minister after the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance came to power in 2004 are also part of the memoir.
Sonia Gandhi has described writing the book as a difficult experience, saying it required her to open up about memories and emotions she had kept “deep inside”.
Rajiv Gandhi was born on August 20, 1944. He served as India’s Prime Minister from 1984 to 1989. He was assassinated in 1991 by a suicide bomber linked to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. Rahul Gandhi was 20 years old at the time.
- With inputs from agencies
