HarperCollins steps in to publish Sonia Gandhi memoir after Penguin withdraws

HarperCollins Publishers confirmed it will release the memoir of former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi after Penguin Random House India withdrew from the venture. Congress officials accused Penguin of succumbing to external pressure to excise sections mentioning Narendra Modi, the RSS and China's occupation of Indian territory during Modi's tenure. Senior party leader Ashok Gehlot labeled the publisher's retreat a "murder of democracy".

The publishing row underscores the fraught relationship between political elites and the Indian publishing industry. HarperCollins' decision positions it as the new platform for Gandhi's autobiographical work. No further details on the memoir's content or release date were provided.