Satheesan slams Penguin House on 'censorship' row over Sonia Gandhi memoir

THIRUVANTHAPURAM: Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Saturday criticised Penguin Random House India over the controversy surrounding the publication of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's memoir, saying a publisher that "compromises its spine compromises democracy itself".

"The decision by Penguin Random House India regarding Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji's memoir is deeply concerning. When a global publisher can release a book worldwide in its original form, why the sudden urge to censor and edit facts in India," Satheesan asked in a post on 'X'.

He alleged that the controversy reflected "institutional cowardice" resulting from a Central Government that governs through intimidation and is "terrified of the unvarnished truth".

"Truth cannot be edited away to appease those in power. Suppressing facts only exposes the fear of accountability and transparency. In a thriving democracy, facts must be met with debate, not institutional capitulation," the chief minister said.

Satheesan's reaction came amid a controversy over the publication of Sonia Gandhi's memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', in India.

Penguin Random House India in a statement said it was not the publisher of the book in the country, days after American publisher Alfred A Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House, announced that "Belonging" would release on November 10.

The statement follows a report in the Indian Express claiming that the publisher backed out after Gandhi refused "editorial changes" to the manuscript.