A fresh political controversy has erupted over the publication of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, after Penguin Random House India clarified that it will not be releasing the book in India.

The clarification came shortly after US-based publisher Alfred A Knopf, a Penguin Random House imprint, announced that Belonging: A Journey of Love would be released internationally on November 10. Penguin Random House India said it had been involved in discussions regarding the memoir and was interested in publishing it, but ultimately did not become its publisher.

The publisher also maintained that checking the accuracy of material submitted by an author is part of its editorial responsibility. The statement came amid reports that disagreements over proposed editorial changes had led to the Indian edition being dropped.

The development drew a strong reaction from Congress leaders, who suggested that political pressure may have played a role.

Gaurav Gogoi, the Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, criticised Penguin India's explanation on X, arguing that the publisher had previously released books connected with the BJP and the RSS.

He suggested that the reluctance to publish Sonia Gandhi's memoir in India could be linked to concerns within the government about its contents becoming widely available to Indian readers.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot also questioned why the book could be released internationally in its original form while its publication in India was facing difficulties.

Gehlot alleged that Penguin Random House India had sought alterations to the memoir despite its international release plans remaining intact. He described any attempt to prevent the book from appearing in India because of pressure as an attack on freedom of expression.

BJP rejects Congress' allegations

The BJP rejected the Congress' claims and accused its leaders of attempting to build a political narrative around the controversy.

BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan said the Congress' allegations were contradictory and questioned why the party was objecting to the publisher's fact-checking process.

Kesavan specifically asked what portions of Sonia Gandhi's memoir had prompted the need for verification and why those sections had become a point of contention.

BJP leader Ajay Alok similarly argued that the issue was not about a publisher being intimidated. He said publishers have a responsibility to ensure that claims, facts and figures in a book are properly verified before publication.

According to Congress sources, discussions surrounding the memoir focused on three broad areas.

One concerned the India-China border situation, including references to alleged Chinese incursions and developments along the frontier.

Another involved Sonia Gandhi's assessment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, his style of functioning and several policies pursued by the Union government.

The third area reportedly concerned the RSS and its influence on Indian politics and society. The memoir is said to contain Sonia Gandhi's personal assessment of the organisation and its role in national affairs.

Congress sources claimed that Penguin India had suggested changes to some of these passages, including editing or removing portions. Sonia Gandhi, however, reportedly declined, maintaining that the material reflected her own experiences and perspective and should not be altered.

The disagreement eventually resulted in Penguin Random House India not publishing the memoir, while Alfred A Knopf continues to be associated with its planned international release.