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New Delhi: The Lok Sabha was thrown into chaos on Monday when Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, attempted to read out an article based on an unpublished book by former Army chief General MM Naravane (Retd).
Proceedings were halted as Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh objected to the reference of the book, stating that only formally published material may be quoted in the House.
The Congress pointed out that it was a matter of "national security". However, the House was first adjourned till 3 pm, then 4 pm and subsequently for the day.
The reference to former Army chief MM Naravane’s book was made in the Lok Sabha when Rahul Gandhi sought to quote from his unpublished memoir -- Four Stars of Destiny -- on the 2020 India-China conflict to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Recently, The Caravan magazine did a cover story on Naravane's book, which was supposed to be published by Penguin. The book has reportedly been waiting for nod from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for around 18 months.
Speaking on the motion of thanks to the President’s address, Rahul Gandhi said he wished to respond to allegations related to nationalism levelled by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya against the Congress.
After this, he referred to the book and its content. This sparked an immediate backlash from BJP leaders, who alleged that the Congress leader was misleading the House and disrespecting the armed forces. They accused Gandhi of undermining the dignity of the House and hurting the sentiment of Indian soldiers with his false allegations. They asked him to stop “speaking the language of anti-India elements”.
The chaos continued for almost 50 minutes with speaker Om Birla repeatedly saying that no book or newspaper clipping can be quoted on a matter not related to the proceedings of the House, while Gandhi stating that the document was authenticated and can be quoted.
Gandhi said the government was “afraid” of a line from Naravane’s memoir that he wanted to quote, and asserted that he would do so in the Rajya Sabha. Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament, he said: "This is what the army chief has written in a book. The book is not allowed to be published. It is languishing. This is the Army chief's perspective. Why is the government scared of the Army chief's perspective."
General Naravane was Army chief when the Galwan clash in eastern Ladakh broke out between Indian and Chinese troops. It was under his tenure that the government rolled out the Agnipath recruitment scheme, triggering huge controversy.
As many as 20 Indian Army soldiers, including a Colonel, lost their lives in the clash at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh's Galwan Valley on the night of June 15-16, 2020.
The content of Naravane's book on military operations and government policies has reportedly led to a review, delaying its publication.
In the book, Naravane mentions his interaction with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on August 31, 2020, amid mounting tensions with China on the LAC.
According to news agency PTI, Naravane writes in the memoir, "He (Rajnath Singh) said that he had spoken to the PM and that it was purely a military decision. Jo ucchit samjho woh karo (Do whatever you deem is appropriate)... I had been handed a hot potato. With this carte blanche, the onus was now totally on me. I took a deep breath and sat silently for a few minutes."
The back cover of the book has a blurb by former Army chief VP Malik, who led the Indian Army during the 1999 Kargil War. General Malik wrote: "An intimate and veritable insight into different roles, functioning, and ongoing debates, with India's military. His detailed and candid narration of the India-China confrontation in Eastern Ladakh before and after the Galwan Valley incident is very informative and exciting (and) will definitely raise the adrenaline level of every reader."
The Caravan shared the link of the article on X and posted: "Going to wars can never be a purely military decision. It is taken by democratically elected political leadership..."
From Rahul Gandhi’s comments and the Congress’s posts, it is apparent that he was trying to use the book to project the political leadership as indecisive during a crisis.
