Amid the row over the release of Sonia Gandh i’s memoir, lawyers from Penguin Random House India (PRHI) said they had made several changes and deletions in the upcoming book.
“On some, they agreed to changes and on others, we accepted the author’s position. Penguin Random House’s statement also comes after several Congress leaders raised concerns of governmental pressure and freedom of expression. Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot also alleged that pressure was put on Penguin India to remove sections relating to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RSS and China’s occupation of Indian territory during the Modi regime.
PRHI lawyers have said that there was a lot of “back and forth” for two months between editors and the author, according to a report by The Indian Express . People familiar with the matter added that the deliberations remained cordial but became “rough” until the deal fell through a few days ago . Lawyers said the key passages objected to were the references made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the role of the RSS in the Indian political landscape, communal divide and the plight of minorities. a statement from the publishing house on Monday said it was not subject to any “external pressure” While PRHI is yet to reply to what changes were suggested. Unfortunately, and ultimately, an understanding could not be reached on a particular issue,” the statement said, adding that the manuscript went through the “normal editorial process.
