Thiruvananthapuram, August 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Kerala Congress president V.D. Satheesan has criticised publishing house Penguin Random House India over the controversy surrounding the proposed Indian publication of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, alleging that pressure from the Central government was behind the reported dispute.
In a post on X, Satheesan questioned reports that the publisher had sought changes to portions of the memoir and subsequently did not proceed with its Indian publication.
He said a publisher compromising its editorial independence amounted to a threat to democracy and questioned why changes were reportedly being sought when the book was being released internationally in its original form.
“When a global publisher can release a book worldwide in its original form, why the sudden urge to censor and edit facts in India?” Satheesan said.
He alleged that the controversy reflected pressure from the Central government and accused it of using intimidation to suppress uncomfortable facts. Satheesan maintained that facts should not be altered to suit those in power.
The controversy follows reports that Penguin Random House India had proposed changes to certain sections of Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, including passages referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and China. Sonia Gandhi is understood to have disagreed with the proposed alterations, following which reports said the Indian publication arrangement had fallen through.
The memoir is scheduled for international release on November 10 through Alfred A. Knopf, a Penguin Random House imprint.
Satheesan said suppressing facts would raise questions about accountability and transparency. He argued that democratic societies should respond to contested facts through debate rather than institutional capitulation.
The memoir is expected to cover Sonia Gandhi’s early life in Italy, her marriage to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and her years associated with the Gandhi family’s political life and the Congress party.
The dispute over its Indian publication has developed into a wider political debate over editorial freedom and the role of publishers in handling politically sensitive material.
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