Gandhi, 79, maintained that it is her story and there was no question of allowing any distortions to her telling of her life, a person aware of the matter said. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s book deal with Penguin Random House India (PRHI) fell through as she refused to make changes or deletions of references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s ideological fount, and Chinese intrusions, HT has learnt.
“As a politician, she mentions how this issue was handled, but the publishers had problems with it. “As a publisher, it is both our prerogative and our responsibility to fact-check and provide authors with recommendations that are in the best interests of their books. This is a normal part of the publishing process. Throughout the relevant discussions, Penguin Random House India’s position was that we remained willing and keen to publish the book. The Congress dismissed the statement. “If Penguin worldwide has published, then… [PRHI] claim of fact-checking is ridiculous. Independent literary agents handled the memoir, and most Congress leaders are unaware of the full contents.
“She has had a long career in politics, and therefore her memoir is expansive. Because gandhi declined editorial changes does not accurately reflect the circumstances, pRHI issued a statement, maintaining that any suggestion that it decided not to publish the memoir.
She has certainly given her impressions of the Prime Minister and details of what happened when they met,” said the aide.
PRHI objected to Gandhi’s references to the India-China relationship and intrusions into Indian territory. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, have been demanding the government come clean on the situation at the Line of Actual Control with China. They have accused the government of making false claims. The impasse started when Rahul Gandhi wanted to refer to a magazine article with excerpts from Naravane’s unpublished memoir. He maintained that the “book clearly states that when the Chinese army had entered our border, in such a critical moment, the Army Chief was made to wait. Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi criticised PRHI’s statement, calling it weak. “Penguin India is more than happy to publish ‘Exam Warriors’ and several books on RSS.
Because the author declined editorial changes does not accurately reflect the circumstances,” a company spokesperson said, any suggestion that Penguin Random House India decided not to publish Belonging.
Outside the House, Gandhi carried a copy of Naravane’s book and said he would present it to Modi if the Prime Minister came to Parliament. And when the time came to take a decision, the Prime Minister simply said – ‘Do whatever you think is appropriate’. No doubt there are those in the BJP government who have now become afraid of a book being…read by the people of India,” Gogoi said on X. Earlier reporting noted: Editorial dispute report on Sonia Gandhi’s memoir inaccurate, says Penguin India Penguin Random House India (PRHI) on Friday dismissed a news report that the publication house refused to publish Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s much-anticipated memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love over an alleged disagreement over “editorial changes”. Earlier reporting noted: The statement came in the wake of a report by The Indian Express that PRHI has decided not to publish the book over “editorial changes and deletions” sought by the publisher in a section of the manuscript – an alleged demand that was refused by Gandhi.
Earlier reporting noted: “Penguin Random House India is not the publisher of Belonging in India.
