Congress Leaders Question Penguin India Over Sonia Gandhi Memoir, Allege Pressure On Publisher

Several senior Congress leaders expressed concern over the publication of Sonia Gandhi's memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love in India, alleging that there may have been pressure on the publisher to alter the content. Ashok Gehlot, a former Rajasthan Chief Minister, questioned why Penguin India was not releasing the same book internationally, alleging that pressure was applied to remove references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RSS, and China's alleged occupation of Indian territory during Modi's government.

Gehlot warned that such actions undermine freedom of expression and called the act a "murder of democracy."

Kamal Nath, a former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, described the refusal to publish the memoir as "grave concern," questioning whether the publisher was making decisions on its own or under pressure. Gaurav Gogoi, a Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, criticized Penguin India's statement as "weak," highlighting that the publisher was eager to publish other books like Exam Warriors and those related to the RSS.

Srinivas BV, the chief of Congress Seva Dal, found the publisher's statement on editorial independence "unconvincing" and described Penguin India as "Paltu Penguin." The Indian Youth Congress questioned the editorial changes sought by the publisher, demanding transparency about the requested changes and the publisher's motives. Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba accused Penguin and PRHI of using "blackmailing tactics" and praised Gandhi for refusing to comply.

Penguin Random House India denied being the Indian publisher of the memoir and stated that fact-checking and editorial recommendations were routine in the publishing process. The publisher refused to comment further on confidential discussions with the author and emphasized its willingness to publish the book.