Criticism of RSS, Modi: Publisher refuses to publish Sonia Gandhi’s book
New Delhi: A controversy has erupted over the publication in India of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s forthcoming memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love. As per Congress sources, three sections of the manuscript attracted particular attention during discussions with publisher Penguin Random House India, focusing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the policies of the Indian government and the role of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
According to Kashmir Media Service, Sonia Gandhi has openly expressed her views in the book on Narendra Modi’s leadership and style of governance, as well as several key policies of the BJP-led Indian government. The book also includes her perspective on the RSS’s role in national affairs and its influence on Indian society. The RSS is widely regarded as the ideological mentor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while Narendra Modi worked with the organization before entering politics full-time.
Congress sources said that Penguin India proposed amendments to or deletion of certain portions of the book, which Sonia Gandhi rejected the proposal. She maintained that the facts and views presented in the book are based on her personal experiences and perspective and therefore cannot be altered.
In the introduction to the book, Sonia Gandhi said much had already been written about her family, but her memoir presents the motivations, actions and human vulnerabilities of its members from a different perspective.
The book covers major phases of her life, including her childhood in Italy, arrival in India, her life as Rajiv Gandhi’s wife and Indira Gandhi’s daughter-in-law, the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, her entry into politics, her tenure as the Congress president for the longest period, and her decision to decline the offer to become prime minister in 2004.
It is pertinent to mention that Penguin India had earlier also refused to publish a book on the 2013 Muzaffarnagar anti-Muslim riots.
