Amid the row over the release of Sonia Gandhi's memoir, lawyers from Penguin Random House India (PRHI) said they had made several changes and deletions in the upcoming book.
A controversy has broken out over the Indian publication of 'Belonging: A Journey of Love," which details Gandhi's life, and is scheduled to be released worldwide on November 10.
According to a report by The Indian Express, PRHI lawyers have said that there was a lot of "back and forth" for two months between editors and the author. People familiar with the matter added that the deliberations remained cordial but became "rough" until the deal fell through a few days ago.
The book will be published by Alfred A Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House, while PRHI was responsible for the Indian distribution.
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Lawyers said the key passages objected to were the references made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the role of the RSS in the Indian political landscape, communal divide and the plight of minorities.
{{/usCountry}}Lawyers said the key passages objected to were the references made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the role of the RSS in the Indian political landscape, communal divide and the plight of minorities.
{{/usCountry}}Sources further told The Indian Express that Gandhi's lawyers pushed back on the edits, alleging that the publishing house was being "over-sensitive". Gandhi's team added that the numerous edits and deletions would cause two different versions of the book to be released - an Indian and a global edition.
"Readers in India would have to compare the text of the title published globally to the one printed in India to know what all had been changed or censored,” a source told Express further.
Penguin India denies 'external pressure'
While PRHI is yet to reply to what changes were suggested, a statement from the publishing house on Monday said it was not subject to any “external pressure”.
"We feel it is important for us to correct certain misrepresentations regarding the forthcoming memoir 'Belonging'. This is a book that we at Penguin Random House India, were really keen on publishing as it was a hard-won acquisition," spokesperson Pallavi Narayan told news agency PTI.
"On some, they agreed to changes and on others, we accepted the author's position. Unfortunately, and ultimately, an understanding could not be reached on a particular issue," the statement said, adding that the manuscript went through the "normal editorial process."
"Since we are bound by an agreement, and author confidentiality is paramount to us, we will not divulge details of what led to the impasse," the publisher added.
Penguin Random House's statement also comes after several Congress leaders raised concerns of governmental pressure and freedom of expression.
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot also alleged that pressure was put on Penguin India to remove sections relating to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RSS and China's occupation of Indian territory during the Modi regime.