Rahul triggers parliament uproar over unpublished army memoir
India’s parliament witnessed dramatic scenes this week after opposition leader Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from an unpublished memoir by former army chief General MM Naravane, triggering a fierce political showdown with the ruling BJP.
The controversy centres on Naravane’s yet-to-be-released book Four Stars of Destiny, which allegedly raises questions about political leadership during the deadly 2020 India-China border standoff in Ladakh. Gandhi claimed the manuscript suggests top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, failed to give clear instructions as Chinese tanks advanced toward Indian positions.
As Gandhi began reading excerpts during a debate in the lower house on Monday, treasury bench members repeatedly interrupted him, accusing him of violating parliamentary rules by citing an unpublished work. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh demanded that Gandhi present the book itself, saying it had not been officially released. The heated exchanges forced the adjournment of proceedings, and disruptions continued into the following day, with eight Congress lawmakers later suspended for disorderly conduct.
The BJP accused Gandhi of undermining the military and misleading parliament, while the Congress leader defended his source as authentic. Outside parliament, Gandhi later held up a copy of the manuscript to reporters and alleged that the memoir showed the prime minister had left critical decisions to the army chief during the Ladakh crisis.
The BBC has not independently verified the reported excerpts, and Naravane has not publicly commented on the dispute. The book has been awaiting government clearance since 2024, reportedly due to concerns that it may contain sensitive operational details.
India and China clashed along their disputed Himalayan border in 2020, resulting in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops, the first fatal confrontation between the two sides in decades. Although tensions eased in 2024 after the disengagement agreements, the episode remains politically sensitive.
Naravane, who served as army chief from 2019 to 2022, is among several retired military leaders to write about India’s security challenges. Under existing rules, former officers must obtain official approval before publishing material that could affect national security, a process that has kept his memoir in limbo and now at the centre of a political storm.