Penguin was under pressure, new publisher will release Sonia Gandhi’s book on Nov 10: Ashok Gehlot

Jaipur: Former Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, has alleged that Penguin’s decision to withdraw from publishing Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s upcoming book was the result of pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office or the central government.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, Gehlot said the publisher was “prevaricating and making excuses” and claimed that Penguin’s global parent organisation was willing to publish the book in other markets.

“If the book can be published globally, why can’t it be published in India?” Gehlot asked, alleging that the reasons given by Penguin for withdrawing from the publication had been exposed.

Gehlot further alleged that despite the allegations concerning pressure from the PMO and the government, there had been no response from the government. He described this silence as a “tacit admission” of the allegations.

Defending Sonia Gandhi, Gehlot said she was not an ordinary political leader, pointing to her tenure as Congress President for 22 years, her role as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and her tenure as Chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC) during the UPA government.

He also credited the UPA era with several major initiatives, including the Right to Education (RTE), Food Security Act, Right to Information (RTI) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Gehlot also spoke at length about Sonia Gandhi’s personal journey and her association with the Nehru-Gandhi family. Referring to the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and later the death of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, he said Sonia Gandhi had faced significant personal losses before eventually agreeing to take an active leadership role in the Congress at the request of party leaders.

Responding to past criticism over Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origins, Gehlot said such distinctions become irrelevant when a person dedicates themselves to the country they have adopted as their own.

He also recalled the criticism faced by Sonia Gandhi when she became Congress president and argued that her contribution and long political career should be judged on her work rather than her origins.

Gehlot claimed that even some people associated with the RSS and BJP privately admire Sonia Gandhi’s personality and achievements, although they may not publicly acknowledge it.

Gehlot described Sonia Gandhi’s forthcoming autobiography as an important step towards presenting her own account of her life and political journey.

According to Gehlot, the book is intended in part to counter what he described as misconceptions and allegations surrounding Sonia Gandhi and the Nehru-Gandhi family during the years of the NDA government. He also said Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had maintained restraint despite repeated political attacks and allegations against them.

Addressing the question of a new publisher taking over the project, Gehlot said several major publishers had approached the authors immediately after news emerged of Penguin’s withdrawal.

He said the arrival of another publisher was, therefore, not unexpected and asserted that the book would be printed and released on November 10.

Gehlot’s remarks came amid continuing political controversy surrounding the publication of Sonia Gandhi’s forthcoming autobiography and Penguin’s reported decision to withdraw from the Indian publication.

IANS