New Delhi: Amid the ongoing controversy over the publication of Sonia Gandhi’s upcoming memoir, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, Indian publisher Roli Books has resurfaced another controversial book associated with Gandhi, The Red Sari, once again recalling the book’s troubled journey.
The controversy surrounding Penguin Random House India’s (PRHI) decision to drop the publication of Belonging: A Journey of Love is not the first time a book involving Sonia Gandhi has sparked a political storm.
The Red Sari, originally written in Spanish as El Sari Rojo by author Javier Moro, was published in Spain in October 2028. The book was subsequently translated into Italian, French, Dutch, English, and several other languages.
However, it was not published in India at the time, following strong opposition from the Congress party, which alleged that the book distorted facts and made defamatory claims.
Now, amid renewed controversy on Gandhi’s new memoir, Roli Books has strategically revisited The Red Sari on social media, drawing attention to its own history of publishing the book despite the political backlash.
“It is a reminder that books can sometimes have journeys every bit as interesting as the stories they contain. Nearly a decade on, we thought it was time to revisit it,” Roli Books said in an Instagram post.
Penguin Random House India (PRHI) recently decided not to publish Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging in India. The publisher had asked for several changes in sections about her meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India-China relations and the RSS.
Gandhi did not agree to the changes, after which the Indian edition was dropped. However, the memoir is still expected to be published internationally by Alfred A. Knopf.
“Some books become part of history. Some books make history. The Red Sari is one of them,” Roli Books said in a social media post published in collaboration with Javier Moro.
Also Read: Penguin dropped it, HarperCollins saved it. Sonia Gandhi’s ‘Belonging’ to release on 10 November
Reminder by Roli Books
In its Instagram post, Roli Books also shared screenshots of Indian news headlines when they covered ‘The Red Sari’ in 2015.
“After Unofficial Ban, Book on Sonia Gandhi Finally Out in India”, “The Red Sari: ‘Banned’ Biography on Sonia Gandhi Finally Released in India”, and “‘The Red Sari’ Humanises Its Subject, Says Javier Moro” were among the news headlines published in 2015.
The title, ‘The Red Sari’, reportedly refers to the sari that Jawaharlal Nehru had woven for his daughter, Indira Gandhi, and which Sonia Gandhi wore at her wedding.
“One of those books whose journey into print became part of its story. First published in Spain and subsequently translated into several languages, The Red Sari eventually made its way to Indian readers through Roli,” the post further read.
‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’ will now be published in India by HarperCollins India on November 10, 2026.
Edited by Maryam Hassan