'No External Pressure Whatsoever,' Says Penguin After Denying it is Publisher of Sonia Gandhi Memoir
New Delhi: Penguin Random House India (PRHI) on Monday (August 31) denied there was any political pressure adding that there was an impasse over “a particular issue” during discussions on Sonia Gandhi's memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love.
“We feel it is important for us to correct certain misrepresentations regarding the forthcoming memoir Belonging. This is a book that we at Penguin Random House India were really keen on publishing as it was a hard-won acquisition,” PRHI spokesperson Pallavi Narayan was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
She added, “Since the content of the book is confidential and under embargo, there was no external pressure whatsoever.”
PRHI didn't specify the issue over which there was an impasse citing “agreement and author confidentiality”.
“Since we are bound by an agreement, and author confidentiality is paramount to us, we will not divulge details of what led to the impasse,” PRHI said.
According to the publisher, during “normal editorial process” some issues were raised with the author's representatives.
“On some, they agreed to changes and on others, we accepted the author’s position. Unfortunately, and ultimately, an understanding could not be reached on a particular issue,” PTI quoted PRHI as saying.
They suggested that the author's team didn't want to proceed with the publication due to the impasse.
Alfred A Knopf, the US-based imprint of PRHI, had announced that Belonging: A Journey of Love would be released worldwide on November 10.
Hindustan Times earlier reported that the book deal fell through as Gandhi refused to make changes or deletions of references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and Chinese intrusions. The report added that HarperCollins is now close to finalising an agreement to publish and distribute the book in India.
Citing Gandhi's aide, HT reported that PRHI wanted Gandhi to remove recollections and observations about her meetings with Modi adding that she has gone into details about his comments about her and cited one calling her a “Jersey cow” at a public rally in Gujarat in 2004.
In another report, HT mentioned that the Indian edition of Gandhi's memoir is likely to have a different cover featuring her in a saree, a photograph taken by her husband and former prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi.
The clarification comes from PRHI after several Congress leaders, journalists and other eminent personalities suggested that the memoir was not being published due to government pressure and raised concerns over freedom of expression.
"The lesson for publishers is that it is not only books that should have strong spines, publishers should also have strong spines. We shouldn't fool ourselves by calling ourselves the largest democracy, we are not, we are now an electoral autarchy, an electoral cabal is ruling India. All these are symptoms to that. These kind of events bring discredit to the government and Modi. It shows a nervous government," former minister and journalist Arun Shourie told Karan Thapar in an interview with The Wire.
Slamming PRHI for the move, Congress MP Deepender Singh wrote on X, "Shame on Penguin India. You say no to us, we say no to you. No more Penguin published books on my shelf. As your long time reader, I am disgusted at your editorial capitulation before the authority. And of course, nothing better expected from BJP raj."
Shame on @PenguinIndia!
You say no to us, we say no to you. No more Penguin published books on my shelf.
As your long time reader, I am disgusted at your editorial capitulation before the authority. And of course, nothing better expected from BJP raj. pic.twitter.com/fc7tPGNmIP
— Deepender Singh Hooda (@DeependerSHooda) August 29, 2026
Delhi University professor and columnist Apoorvanand wrote, "The cowardly audacity of Penguin India to ask Soniya Gandhi to make changes in her autobiographical book! Penguin India won't publish Sonia Gandhi’s book, had asked for ‘changes’ which author rejected."
The cowardly audacity of Penguin India to ask Soniya Gandhi to make changes in her autobiographical book!
Penguin India won't publish Sonia Gandhi’s book, had asked for ‘changes’ which author rejected https://t.co/6oR9s2LOUB via @IndianExpress
— Apoorvanand अपूर्वानंद (@Apoorvanand__) August 28, 2026
Similarly, author and columnist Shobhaa De said, "As a proud Penguin author for over three decades, this development is deeply disappointing."
As a proud Penguin author for over three decades, this development is deeply disappointing. https://t.co/unU9VFovHk
— Shobhaa De (@DeShobhaa) August 29, 2026
Journalist Suhasini Haidar remarked that "Penguin's clarification on Sonia Gandhi memoir raises more questions than it answers."
Penguin Clarification on Sonia Gandhi memoirs raises more questions than it answers. https://t.co/igmLdqh14e
— Suhasini Haidar (@suhasinih) August 28, 2026
Journalist and Yale lecturer Sushant Singh wrote, "1. Penguin did not want to publish the book in India. 2. Penguin knew that Mrs Gandhi wouldn't change the text. 3. Penguin wanted it to be known to the Modi regime that it had behaved like a RSS crony in its service. 4. Whether it is ideological or govt largesse, who knows."
This article went live on September first, two thousand twenty six, at fourteen minutes past two in the afternoon.1. Penguin did not want to publish the book in India.
2. Penguin knew that Mrs Gandhi wouldn't change the text.
3. Penguin wanted it to be known to the Modi regime that it had behaved like a RSS crony in its service.
4. Whether it is ideological or govt largesse, who knows. pic.twitter.com/t0mL74H04C— Sushant Singh (@SushantSin) August 29, 2026
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