Sonia Gandhi's memoir row deepens, Congress alleges government pressure

A controversy has erupted over the publication of Sonia Gandhi's memoir, "Belonging," with Penguin Random House India (PRHI) reportedly withdrawing from the deal due to differences with the former Congress president regarding suggested edits. Ashok Gehlot, a Congress functionary, alleged that "pressure was put on Penguin India to remove the portions related to Narendra Modi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and China's occupation of Indian territory during Modi's rule."

Penguin responded with a statement clarifying that PRHI was not the publisher in India and defended its right to fact-check manuscripts and make recommendations to authors. The publishing house expressed willingness to publish the book.

Earlier this year, PRHI halted the distribution of a book on the Muzaffarnagar riots. The US publisher of the memoir, Alfred A Knopf, is part of Penguin Random House, and the international launch is scheduled for November 10. However, the ownership of the Indian rights to "Belonging" is unclear, though HarperCollins may secure them. Gehlot questioned why PRHI sought changes to the Indian edition if Knopf was prepared to publish it worldwide without alteration.

Gehlot emphasized the integrity and dignity with which Sonia Gandhi served the country, arguing that suppressing her book amounted to "the murder of freedom of expression." Gaurav Gogoi, a deputy leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, suggested that BJP government officials were now afraid of having their opinions challenged by the publication. Both official and informal Congress organizations harshly criticized the BJP for attempting to sabotage the book of a prominent national figure.