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Rukhsana Sultana, a Delhi socialite, became influential in Sanjay Gandhi’s circle during the 1975 Emergency, unsettling many, including Maneka Gandhi and Ambika Soni
Rukhsana Sultana gained influence in Sanjay Gandhi’s circle during the 1975 Emergency. (News18 Hindi)
Among the many polarising figures of 1975 Emergency-era politics, few drew as much intrigue and criticism as Rukhsana Sultana, a glamorous socialite who found herself at the heart of one of the most controversial and repressive political periods in history. While Sanjay Gandhi surrounded himself largely with political loyalists, it was Rukhsana’s unexpected rise in his inner circle that turned heads and raised eyebrows, from the corridors of power to the narrow lanes of Jama Masjid.
In an opinion piece for News18 Hindi, senior political analyst Rashid Kidwai noted that Rukhsana’s presence in Sanjay Gandhi’s circle baffled many, especially senior leaders like Ambika Soni and Maneka Gandhi. Her flamboyant fashion choices, from silk sarees to heavy make-up and signature pink-tinted sunglasses, made her stand out as she campaigned in Delhi’s Muslim-dominated areas, often with a perfume-soaked handkerchief held delicately to her face.
But her involvement went far beyond appearances. As Kidwai recounted, Rukhsana became the face of the sterilisation campaign in Old Delhi during the Emergency, a government drive that is still remembered for its excesses. Reports suggest she was paid by the Union Health Ministry to “motivate” thousands of men for sterilisation procedures. Her role during the demolition and subsequent police firing at Turkman Gate in 1976 remains one of the most contentious episodes of that era, with critics blaming her proximity to power for the chaos that ensued.
Who Is Rukhsana Sultana?
Long before she became a polarising figure during the Emergency years, Rukhsana Sultana was known in elite Delhi circles by another name – Meenu Bimbet. Born in 1934 in Jalandhar, Punjab, into a family that was part of both the military establishment and cultural aristocracy, Meenu’s early life was a fascinating blend of tradition and modernity, of regimental order and artistic freedom. Her father, Captain Madan Mohan Bimbet, was a Hindu officer in the Indian Air Force, and her mother, Zarina Haque, came from a liberal Muslim background. Zarina was the niece of 1950s Bombay film star Begum Para, linking Meenu to the world of glamour and cinema from the very beginning.
Educated in Delhi, Meenu was said to be charming, articulate, and fiercely independent from a young age. She married Shivinder Singh Virk, a Sikh army officer who was also the nephew of celebrated author Khushwant Singh. Together they had a daughter, Amrita Singh, who later went on to become a popular Bollywood actress and the mother of Sara Ali Khan. But Meenu’s marriage to Virk eventually ended in divorce.
After the separation, Meenu reinvented herself as Rukhsana Sultana, embracing a new identity and carving out a space for herself in Delhi’s elite social circles. She opened a high-end boutique in Connaught Place, where she sold expensive diamond jewellery on commission.
Rukhsana Sultana’s Entry Into Politics
Rukhsana’s entry into politics, however, was less about party membership and more about personal allegiance. She reportedly told Sanjay Gandhi during a chance meeting at her boutique that she wanted to dedicate her life to his “mission”.
In Black Wednesday, a 1977 book by journalist Promila Kalhan, Ambika Soni is quoted as having protested Rukhsana’s involvement, warning Indira Gandhi about her son’s growing attachment to the socialite. Indira reportedly brushed her off, asking Ambika to deal with Sanjay directly. Sanjay, in turn, is said to have declared that the Youth Congress needed Rukhsana more than she needed them.
Sanjay Gandhi’s defenders often point to a softer side, one that sharply contrasts with the ruthless image crafted during the Emergency. Maneka Gandhi, in her 1980 biography Sanjay Gandhi, remembered him as a devoted husband and caring father, sharing how he insisted on being present in the delivery room during the birth of their son Varun, something almost unheard of at the time.
While Sanjay Gandhi’s political legacy remains bitterly debated, Rukhsana Sultana’s chapter in politics is often remembered as a cautionary tale, of what happens when personal loyalties collide with democratic institutions and unchecked power meets ambition in a time of national crisis.
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