‘Talks went from cordial to rough’: Sonia Gandhi’s exit from Penguin book deal

With Penguin India out, several Indian publishers are now in the fray and HarperCollins is reported to be close to finalising the agreement to publish and distribute the book in India. (File Photos) 3 min readNew DelhiSep 1, 2026 03:33 PM IST First published on: Sep 1, 2026 at 05:40 AM IST Lawyers representing Penguin Random House India flagged changes and deletions from “several chapters” of Sonia Gandhi’s upcoming book, The Indian Express has learnt. They prepared lists that were sent to the author in a “back-and-forth” lasting at least two months until the publishing deal fell through a few days ago, as first reported by The Indian Express. Sources said that these deliberations were “cordial” at the outset but towards the end got “rough.”While Alfred A Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House, is the global publisher of “Belonging,” PRHI was to publish and distribute it in India. The release, scheduled for November 10, was first announced by Knopf which added that the first print run for the title would be 100,000 copies.

Among the passages that were objected to, The Indian Express has learnt, were: references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his 12-year rule; the role of the RSS; references to instances of communal divide and riots and the plight of minorities.