New Delhi: Breaking her silence on the censorship row over her upcoming memoir, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has said publisher Penguin Random House India was "uneasy" with criticism of the government. She was disappointed the publisher did not go ahead with the book, she said, though not altogether surprised.
Penguin Random House India (PRHI) had initially been keen to publish the memoir, "Belonging: A Journey of Love", but later said it would not be the Indian publisher. In an interview ahead of the book's release on November 10, Gandhi said Penguin was "uneasy in general with the criticism of the government". She said she saw the decision as an attempt to censor the book.
"I was disappointed, though not altogether surprised," she was quoted as saying.
The dispute began amid reports of differences between the publisher and the author's representatives over editorial changes to the manuscript. Several Congress leaders raised concerns over possible governmental pressure and freedom of expression, some alleging that Penguin India was under pressure to remove sections relating to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RSS and what they called China's occupation of Indian territory during the Modi government.
Penguin India denied any external pressure, saying there had been an impasse over a particular issue during discussions on the book. It declined to name the issue, citing agreement and author confidentiality.
The uncertainty ended when HarperCollins India announced it would publish the memoir in India on November 10.
In the same interview, Gandhi weighed in on the last 12 years of the Modi government and its impact on what she called India's secular and pluralistic character. She said the situation was more than disappointing and very painful, "having known a different India".
"In parliament, we are not allowed to debate. In the past, there were discussions, there were meetings between the opposition and the government, there was consultation. Now the opposition counts for nothing," she said.
(With inputs from PTI and media reports)