"The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh" – Book by Sanjaya Baru, former Media Advisor to PM

April 17, 2014

“The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh” – a memoir by Indian policy analyst Sanjaya Baru released. Mr. Baru was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Media Advisor from May 2004 until August 2008.
Controversy surrounding the book:
The book proclaims that PM Singh had neither complete control over his cabinet nor the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The book instead alleges that a considerable power was possessed by the Congress Party’s President Sonia Gandhi, to whom PM Singh was entirely “subservient“. Thus, the book paints a incriminating portrait of a PM who was in office but “not in power”, while Congress President Sonia Gandhi called the shots.
Excerpts from the book:
“There cannot be two centres of power, that creates confusion. I have to accept that the party president is the centre of power. The government is answerable to the party” – PM Singh to Sanjaya Baru.
Response from PMO on the book:
The PMO released a statement: “It is an attempt to misuse a privileged position and access to high office to gain credibility and to apparently exploit it for commercial gain. The commentary smacks of fiction and coloured views of a former adviser.“