Najma Heptulla Recounts Waiting for an Hour as Sonia Gandhi Was "Busy" in Her New Autobiography

In her newly released autobiography, In Pursuit of Democracy: Beyond Party Lines, former deputy chairperson of Rajya Sabha Najma Heptulla recounts a poignant moment from 1999 when she became the first Indian woman to be elected president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). Heptulla called then-Congress president Sonia Gandhi to share the good news from Berlin, only to be kept waiting for an hour as her staff informed her that "Madam is busy."

The incident stands out in Heptulla's memoir as a moment of personal rejection, especially given the significance of her achievement. She writes that the IPU presidency was "a historic first and a great honour," marking the pinnacle of her political journey from the Indian Parliament to the global stage. Her high expectations were thus deflated when Heptulla's call to Sonia Gandhi was met with an hour of silence. The Congress leader never came on the line, and Heptulla left, feeling deeply disappointed.

Heptulla contrasts her experience with her conversation with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who expressed immediate delight at her success and promised a celebration. The stark difference between her reception from Vajpayee and Gandhi deeply affected Heptulla, who had previously sought Gandhi’s blessing before her nomination. The call delay, she reflects, symbolized a broader shift in Congress, a transition from the party’s experienced leadership to a new generation of sycophants.

Heptulla, who eventually joined the BJP in 2004 after a rift with Sonia Gandhi, was later appointed as Union Minister for Minority Affairs in Narendra Modi's government in 2014. The story is, however, a rich personal reflection on her journey and the changing political dynamics within the Congress party.