BJP's Ram Madhav: Sonia Gandhi-Penguin dispute is between author and publisher

Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's forthcoming memoir, asserting that the government has no role in the matter. Speaking to a national daily, Madhav framed the disagreement as a routine author-publisher issue, not a political one.

"I am myself an author," Madhav said, drawing on his own publishing experience. He explained that publishers routinely suggest edits, and authors accept or reject them before reaching a mutual understanding. He suggested the same process occurred with Gandhi's book, titled Belonging: A Journey of Love.

"It's between the author and the publisher. And finally, it was the author who decided she didn't want to go ahead with the publisher. Where is the government in this?" Madhav asked.

The remarks come after Penguin Random House India (PRHI) and Gandhi's team failed to reach an agreement over certain editorial changes. The publisher had requested deletions in a part of the manuscript, which Gandhi declined to make.

Congress leaders subsequently alleged that Penguin faced pressure to remove content related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RSS, and China's occupation of Indian territory during Modi's tenure. PRHI has denied these claims, stating there was "no external pressure whatsoever."

In a statement, the publisher said discussions with the author's representatives covered several points, with both sides making concessions. However, an impasse was reached on one issue, after which Gandhi's team chose not to proceed. PRHI cited author confidentiality in declining to reveal specifics.

Following the split with Penguin, HarperCollins India will now publish the memoir. The publisher has described it as "one of the most anticipated political memoirs of our time," offering a personal account of love, identity, and duty with an insider's view of India's journey. The book is scheduled for release in India on November 10.