India

Maneka Anand’s Departure from the Gandhi Household Sparks Family Feud and Legal Battle

By Express Web Desk

When Maneka Anand married Sanjay Gandhi in 1974, she entered a family deeply entwined with India’s politics. Less than a decade later, she left the household after a dispute with her mother‑in‑law, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, sparking a public confrontation. In her memoir *Belonging: A Journey of Love*, Sonia recounts Maneka’s arrival, the disagreements that followed, Sanjay’s growing political ambitions, and the events after his death in 1980 that led to Maneka’s departure.

Maneka, then 18, became the younger daughter‑in‑law of the Gandhi household, a role Sonia called the “Choti Bahu.” Sonia initially welcomed her, hoping the two could share space as equal daughters of the family. Over time, irritations grew. Sonia notes that Maneka sometimes spoke rudely, using expletives that shocked the household and embarrassed Sanjay. Sonia often stayed silent to avoid arguments but would respond when she felt the remarks crossed a line.

Within months of their marriage, arguments between Sanjay and Maneka intensified. Sonia writes that the couple’s disputes were loud enough for other household members to hear. Maneka’s involvement in Sanjay’s political life also strained his relationship with Rajiv Gandhi. Sanjay’s political ambitions rose during the Emergency, and he began speaking critically of the bureaucracy and, at times, the prime minister. Indira Gandhi believed Maneka encouraged Sanjay’s political activities.

After the 1978 elections, Rajiv blamed Sanjay for the Congress’s setback, accusing him of rash decisions and acting without his mother’s knowledge. During a family discussion, Rajiv confronted Sanjay, saying, “I cannot forgive you, Sanjay, you have brought Ma to this pass.” Indira agreed with Rajiv’s assessment. Maneka intervened, prompting Indira to challenge her to deny the allegations. Maneka withdrew from the exchange, but the confrontation deepened hostility between her and the rest of the family.

Sonia accuses Maneka of making sarcastic remarks about the family and of using her contacts among journalists to circulate stories. She claims Maneka spread stories that Rajiv and Sonia had intended to flee the country after the elections were lost.

Sanjay’s death in an aircraft crash on June 23, 1980, left Maneka a 23‑year‑old widow with a three‑month‑old son, Feroze Varun Gandhi. Indira believed Maneka should focus on raising her son rather than pursuing a political career. Maneka, however, had other plans. Around Varun’s first birthday, she organized a party at the house of Vasundhara Raje, a political opponent of Indira. Raje supported the RSS, and the choice of venue hurt the prime minister.

When Indira was on an official visit to London, she learned that Maneka had begun moving her belongings out of the house. Upon her return, Indira confronted Maneka over her political activities and asked her to choose between giving them up and moving out. Maneka responded with a letter accusing Indira of wrongdoing. Sonia believes Maneka had planned her departure weeks in advance and had discussed it with a journalist friend.

The dispute over Varun continued. The Gandhi family went to court over access to the child, and Maneka eventually denied them visiting rights. The proceedings lasted for years. Around Varun’s fourth birthday, Indira asked Sonia to deliver gifts to his nursery school. The next day, newspapers carried allegations from Maneka that Sonia had been sent to kidnap the child.

Maneka eventually entered electoral politics, contesting the 1984 Lok Sabha elections independently but losing to Rajiv Gandhi. She later joined V.P. Singh’s Janata Dal in 1988 and formally joined the BJP in 2004.