Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (February 4) displayed former Army chief M.M. Naravane’s memoir outside Parliament after he was barred from referring to the book in the Lok Sabha.
Gandhi said he would hand over the book to Prime Minister Narendra Modi if the latter attended the House.
Gandhi said he was stopped from quoting the book under Rule 349, which disallows references to unpublished material. “They said this book does not exist. Every youngster in India should know that this book exists,” he said, holding up a copy of Naravane’s memoir. He added that the book, which is not publicly available in India, contains a detailed account of the 2020 standoff with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh.
According to Gandhi, a key passage in the memoir records what Prime Minister Modi allegedly told Naravane during the crisis: “Jo uchit samjho woh karo” (do what you think is appropriate). Gandhi argued that this showed the prime minister had failed to fulfil his responsibility during the Ladakh crisis.
The controversy erupted on Monday when Gandhi referred to excerpts from Naravane’s memoir, cited in a February issue of The Caravan. In the book, the former Army chief reportedly writes that he was “handed a hot potato” and left to deal with Chinese actions in Ladakh largely on his own, a situation that made him feel “abandoned by the entire establishment.”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah objected to Gandhi’s remarks, arguing that an unpublished book could not be cited in the House. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla subsequently invoked Rule 349 to bar Gandhi from quoting the Caravan article, effectively halting his intervention.
On Tuesday, Gandhi maintained that the article was authentic and again asserted that the book exists, rejecting claims that it was unpublished. He also highlighted portions of the memoir and article that he said prompted the government to stop him from speaking.
Gandhi said the account suggested that when Chinese tanks reached the Kailash Ridge in Indian territory, Naravane sought directions from senior ministers but received no clear response. He claimed that the Army chief was ultimately told not to open fire without permission and was left to decide how to respond.
“This is what they are scared of being said in Parliament,” Gandhi said, reiterating that Naravane felt abandoned during the crisis.
The prime minister is scheduled to deliver the customary reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. Gandhi said that if Modi came to the Lok Sabha, he would personally hand over the book to him.
Naravane’s memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, has been awaiting official clearance from the defence and external affairs ministries. In January 2024, The Wire reported that the book’s release had been delayed pending approval, with Naravane stating that the final decision rested with the publisher.