Lok Sabha Uproar as Rahul Gandhi Tries to Quote Unpublished Gen MM Naravane Memoir During Budget Session

The Lok Sabha witnessed heated scenes on Monday during the ongoing Budget Session after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote excerpts from an unpublished memoir of former Army chief General M.M. Naravane, triggering strong objections from treasury benches and repeated interventions by the Speaker.

The controversy erupted when Gandhi referred to a magazine article that carried purported excerpts from the typescript of Naravane’s memoir, Four Stars of Destiny. In his speech, Gandhi cited a reference to “Chinese tanks in Doklam” to counter the BJP’s allegations that the Congress lacked patriotism.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh immediately objected, questioning the authenticity of the source. “He should tell us if the book has been published or not. It has not been published. He cannot claim to quote from it,” Singh said, adding that he was confident the memoir had not yet been released.

Home Minister Amit Shah also joined in, asking how Gandhi could cite material from a book that was yet to be published.

Speaker Om Birla supported the government’s objections, stating that parliamentary rules do not permit members to cite unauthenticated material such as unpublished books or newspaper clippings. He asked Gandhi to continue his speech without referring to the excerpts.

Despite the ruling, Gandhi insisted that the article published by The Caravan magazine was “100 per cent genuine.” He argued that the government should be allowed to respond after he presented his point. Congress leaders, including K.C. Venugopal, backed Gandhi and urged the Speaker to allow him to proceed.

However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey reiterated that quoting from an unpublished book was against parliamentary conventions. Birla further clarified that even published books unrelated to House proceedings cannot be cited.

As the argument continued, Gandhi sought permission to describe the contents of the article instead of quoting it directly. The Speaker declined, saying he had already given his ruling.

When Gandhi again referred to “Chinese tanks,” Rajnath Singh accused him of attempting to mislead the House. Gandhi then rephrased his remarks, saying “some country’s tanks were approaching,” but was again stopped by the Speaker.

Frustrated, Gandhi asked, “You tell me, sir, what I should speak.” Birla responded sharply, “I am not your adviser. You should follow the rules. You are Leader of the Opposition. The country will decide whether you are maintaining the dignity of the position.”

Rijiju later demanded a discussion on how to deal with members who refuse to follow parliamentary rules.

The Speaker reminded Gandhi to confine his remarks to the President’s address, noting that it did not mention India-China relations. He cautioned against raising issues that could affect India’s international standing.

Gandhi countered that foreign policy and relations with countries like China and Pakistan should be open to parliamentary debate. He argued that Naravane’s memoir raised questions about the conduct of the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister. His remarks were again interrupted as the Speaker cited procedural rules.

With both ruling and opposition members raising slogans, the House descended into disorder. Proceedings were eventually adjourned till 3 pm.

Status of Naravane’s Memoir

General M.M. Naravane’s memoir, titled Four Stars of Destiny, was scheduled for publication in 2024 by Penguin. Excerpts from the manuscript were circulated by news agencies in December 2023, and pre-orders were briefly listed on online platforms. However, the book is reportedly pending government clearances and remains unavailable.

The promotional material describes the memoir as an account of Naravane’s four-decade military career, including his experiences along the India-China border and during the 2020 Galwan clash.

Naravane’s Tenure

Gen Naravane served as Chief of the Army Staff from December 2019 to April 2022, a period marked by major security challenges. His tenure included the deadly Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed, leading to a prolonged standoff with China.

The latest controversy over his unpublished memoir has now added to political tensions in Parliament, highlighting ongoing friction between the government and the Opposition during the Budget Session.