Inside Story of Sardar Patel The Diary of Maniben Patel: 1936-50

On Hyderabad: The diary reveals why India's police action in Hyderabad was delayed by two days, and how Patel prevented Nehru fronvreferring the Hyderabad issue also to the UN.

On Kashmir: Maniben frequently highlights how Nehru did not allow Sardar to tackle the' Kashmir problem even as Sheikh Abdullah interfered in the army operations. The Skeikh would say, 'You must not do this, you must not fight here, you must not shoot here."

On Nehru-Liaquat Pact: Sardar Patel said, "Hindus have been totally finished in Sind, Punjab, Baluchistan and Frontier Provinces. It was (now) being repeated in East Pakistan.. . . Our posterity would call us traitors."

On Maulana Azad; Maniben's diary also corroborates Maulana's secret dealings with the Cabinet Mission. Maulana confessed to having written a letter to Cripps and Pethick Lawrence but insisted that he had kept no copies. Later, in 1949, Patel observed, "If Maulana was not there, there would be no partition.... had he joined the League there would have been no loss."
On Rafi Ahmed Kidwai: Rajaji rebuked Rafi Ahmed wondering whether he was "out to ruin the country by creating a chasm between (Nehru and Patel)." Rafi replied unabashedly, "If I succeed, I will be proud of it."