New Delhi, Aug 29: Penguin Random House India’s decision not to publish Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s memoir has triggered a political confrontation between the BJP and the Congress, with the ruling party rejecting allegations of government involvement and the Opposition questioning whether the publisher acted under external pressure.
The controversy intensified after BJP leaders maintained that the publishing decision was solely a matter between the author and the publishing house, while a Congress MP alleged that the publisher may have come under “backdoor” pressure from the Centre. The competing claims emerged after Penguin Random House India announced that it would not publish Belonging: A Journey of Love, Sonia Gandhi’s autobiography.
Responding to the issue in Jaipur, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the dispute appeared to concern the author and the publisher rather than the government. He said both parties had their own positions and argued that, instead of politicising the issue, the author could have approached another publisher.
Echoing that view in Patna, Bihar Minister Ram Kripal Yadav said the government had no role in the publishing decision. He stated that the matter was confined to the Congress, those associated with writing the biography and the publishing house, adding that there was no government interference.
In Hyderabad, BJP leader T.R. Srinivas said the memoir had already generated significant controversy. He questioned the timing of the publisher’s decision and alleged that the book contained selective references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RSS and China. Srinivas further claimed that publishers were expected to ensure factual accuracy before publication.
BJP National Vice President M. Nagaraja adopted a more restrained position, saying it would be premature to comment on the autobiography because neither he nor others had read the book. He noted that Penguin had already stated it would not publish the memoir.
Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh, however, disputed the publisher’s decision and alleged that it may have resulted from government pressure. He argued that publishers should not influence an author’s views or experiences and claimed there could have been indirect pressure on the publishing house. No evidence supporting the allegation was presented.
Earlier on Friday, Penguin Random House India confirmed that it would not publish Belonging: A Journey of Love. The publisher also rejected suggestions that its decision resulted from the author declining editorial changes, stating that such claims did not accurately reflect the circumstances.
Defending its editorial process, the publisher said fact-checking manuscripts and offering editorial recommendations formed part of its responsibility and editorial discretion in the interest of the book.
