Sonia Gandhi’s memoir describes cause of 2002 Godhra carnage that killed 59 Hindu kar sevaks as ‘disputed’: How the Congress leader who shed tears for Jihadis and Babri Masjid defies facts to whitewas

What happened: In her memoir "Belonging: A Journey of Love," published 10 November 2026, Sonia Gandhi wrote that the cause of the 2002 Godhra train fire is "disputed" and placed blame for the riots that followed on the Bajrang Dal and then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Key numbers: 59 Hindu kar sevaks died in the 27 February 2002 fire on the Sabarmati Express S6 coach near Godhra station; 31 people were convicted, with the Gujarat Why it matters: The article states that courts convicted 31 people over the fire, and it argues Gandhi's account conflicts with those judicial findings.

In her memoir "Belonging: A Journey of Love," published 10 November 2026, Sonia Gandhi wrote that the cause of the 2002 Godhra train fire is "disputed" and placed blame for the riots that followed on the Bajrang Dal and then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

The article states that courts convicted 31 people over the fire, and it argues Gandhi's account conflicts with those judicial findings.