The controversy over the publication of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’ intensified on Friday, with Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi questioning Penguin Random House India’s clarification and BJP leader Amit Malviya hitting back at the Congress.
Penguin Random House India (PRHI) said on Friday that it is not the publisher of Sonia Gandhi’s memoir in India and rejected suggestions that it decided against publishing the book because the author declined editorial changes.
The clarification came after reports claimed that the publisher had backed out after Gandhi refused proposed “editorial changes” to the manuscript.
Gaurav Gogoi Questions Penguin’s Statement
Reacting to the publisher’s statement, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi criticised it as a “weak statement”
and pointed to Penguin India’s publication of other books.
“Such a weak statement,” Gogoi said in a post on X.
“Penguin India is more than happy to publish ‘Exam Warriors’ and several books on RSS,” he added.
Gogoi further alleged that there were people in the BJP government who were now apprehensive about the book being read by Indians.
“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.
Such a weak statement.
Penguin India is more than happy to publish “Exam Warriors” and several books on RSS.
No doubt there are those in the BJP government who have now become afraid of a book being being read by the people of India. https://t.co/JvmXD8FZV6
— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) August 28, 2026
His remarks came after PRHI maintained that it had remained “willing and keen” to publish the memoir and that fact-checking was part of its normal publishing responsibilities.
Amit Malviya Hits Back At Congress
BJP leader Amit Malviya also reacted to the controversy, questioning the need for fact-checking in a memoir written by Sonia Gandhi herself.
“It is rather amusing that Penguin Random House India felt the need to fact-check Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, a book authored by Sonia Gandhi herself,” Malviya said in a post on X.
He referred to the publisher’s explanation that fact-checking authors and providing recommendations was a normal part of the publishing process.
“The publisher says fact-checking is a normal part of the publishing process and that it remained ‘willing and keen’ to publish the book. Fair enough,” Malviya said.
However, he questioned what exactly required verification in the memoir.
“But if a publisher has to fact-check a memoir written by its own author, perhaps the obvious question is: what exactly needed fact-checking – the author’s memories, or the blurred line between fact and fiction?” he said.
It is rather amusing that Penguin Random House India felt the need to fact-check Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, a book authored by Sonia Gandhi herself.
The publisher says fact-checking is a normal part of the publishing process and that it remained “willing and keen” to publish the… https://t.co/z6XnLwN24H
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 28, 2026
What Penguin Random House India Said
PRHI said it was not the publisher of Belonging in India and that any suggestion that it decided not to publish the book because Gandhi declined editorial changes did not accurately reflect the circumstances.
“As a publisher, it is both our prerogative and responsibility to fact-check authors and provide recommendations that are in the best interests of their books. This is a normal part of the publishing process,” the company said.
The publisher added that during the relevant discussions, its position remained that it was “willing and keen” to publish the book. It also said it would not comment further on confidential discussions with the author.
The clarification followed the announcement by American publisher Alfred A Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House, that Sonia Gandhi’s memoir would be released on November 10.
The India release of the book remains a matter of speculation.
According to PTI, an e-book version was listed for pre-order on Amazon at Rs 2,615 and was shown as published by William Collins, an imprint of HarperCollins UK.
The memoir is expected to cover Sonia Gandhi’s childhood in post-war Italy, her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi, the loss of Rajiv Gandhi that brought her into the “public world of politics” and her decision to turn down the prime ministership in 2004, according to Alfred A Knopf.
