In rare speech, Sonia Gandhi refers to her Italian origin - I will die in India and my ashes will be immersed here (video)

May 10, 2016, NewsCrunch

Congress president Sonia Gandhi made a rare but emotional reference to her Italian origins in a speech in Kerala on Monday.

The 69-year-old leader said she had a family in Italy of whom she was not ashamed of.

“I have a 93-year-old mother I am not ashamed of," she said. But she went on to say that Indiamattered more.

"I will die in Indiaand my ashes will be immersed in India as the blood of my loved ones are mixed in this soil.”

Sonia’s unusual speech came days after the Prime Minister made a cutting remark about her Italian origins. Citing a Milan court verdict, which found bribes were paid in Indiafor the AgustaWestland  helicopter deal when the Congress was in power, Modi had said he did not have roots in Italy.

His implication was that Sonia personally benefitted from the deal.   

“I also know PM Modi will never understand my integrity, and him and the RSS will always abuse me."

Over the years BJP has made repeated reference to Sonia Gandhi’s Italian roots. It prompted her to put Manmohan Singh in the PM’s seat in 2005 though she had led UPA to power.