How 'Gandhi vs Gandhi' Fight for Amethi Broke The Nehru-Gandhi Family

New Delhi: With barely a few hours left for the filing of the nominations, the Amethi conundrum continues as the Congress has not as yet fielded a Lok Sabha candidate against Union Minister and BJP's pick for the once-upon-a-time Gandhi bastion Smriti Irani.

If unconfirmed reports are to be believed, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is against the idea of fielding a member from the Nehru-Gandhi family member from Amethi and Raebareli Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

However, there was a time when a fierce battle between the Nehru-Gandhi family broke out for the Amethi seat (which was then a Sanjay Gandhi's constituency), way back in the 80s. A lot of dirty linen was washed in public after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's son and former Congress MP Sanjay Gandhi passed away in an air crash. The family feud came to the fore when Indira Gandhi reportedly asked Sanjay's wife Maneka to 'get out' of her residence.

An ambitious Maneka, barely 25 years old then, was at loggerheads with her mother-in-law for passing on the Gandhi family's political legacy to her son Rajiv Gandhi.

Reports suggested that Indira Gandhi, in 1982, was furious over Maneka for attending the Lucknow convention held by Sanjay's confidante Akbar Ahmed. Maneka with an ambition to project herself into active politics after her husband's demise irked Indira Gandhi.

Indira Gandhi, who had by then pinned her political hopes on her son Rajiv, chose him as Amethi's candidate after it went for by-polls in 1981 after Sanjay's demise on June 23, 1980. Rajiv won the elections with a landslide victory.

It was widely speculated in political circles that after Rajiv filed nominations for the Amethi by-poll, Maneka tried hard to edge him out.

Writer Javier Moro, in his book 'The Red Sari', has elaborated on the ugly spat that ensued between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the presence of media persons and police personnel.

Indira Gandhi reportedly ousted Maneka along with her two-year-old with a running fever Varun from her residence — 1, Safdarjung Road in New Delhi. Moro, in his book, mentioned that Indira Gandhi was irked with Maneka attending the convention in Lucknow.

On the morning of March 28, 1982, Maneka locked herself in her room. A servant came to her room with food on a tray for her. When Maneka questioned the servant for bringing her food to her room, the servant replied, "Mrs Gandhi (Indira) asks me to tell you that she does not wish you to join the rest of the family for lunch."

Javier Moro, in his book, wrote, "Maneka’s legs were shaking as she went down the corridor. The moment of truth had come, but there was no one in the sitting room. She had to wait a few minutes, which seemed to go on forever, and during which she started biting her nails again, like when she was a little girl. Suddenly she heard noises and Indira appeared, furious and walking barefoot, accompanied by the guru, Dhirendra Brahmachari, and secretary Dhawan, with the fancy hairstyle. She wanted them as witnesses."

Moro mentioned that Indira Gandhi, while pointing a finger at Maneka, shouted, “Get out of this house immediately!"

Moro added, “I told you not to speak in Lucknow, but you did exactly what you wanted and you disobeyed me! There was poison in every single one of your words. Do you think I can’t see that? Get out of here! Leave this house right now!” she screamed. “Go back to your mother’s house!"

Moro wrote that Maneka called up her sister Ambika, narrated the entire incident and even called her at the residence. While the Anand sisters began packing Maneka's belongings, Indira burst into the room, saying, "Get out now! I’ve told you not to take anything with you."

Ambika intervened: "She won’t go! This is her home!" To which Indira, with her eyes bulging in anger, shouted, "This is not her home. This is the home of the Prime Minister of India!"

Moro further wrote, “It was after eleven o’clock when, carrying the confused, half-asleep Firoz Varun in her arms, Maneka finally left the house and got into a car with her sister. An explosion of flashes lit up the whole sequence of their departure. Photos that fitted the image she wanted to give, of a loyal daughter-in-law treated cruelly by her powerful and authoritarian mother-in-law. Maneka waving to the reporters from the car,' said the caption under the photo that came out the next morning in all the newspapers in India and some abroad.”