Why An Unpublished Book By Ex-Army Chief Sparked Lok Sabha Uproar

Last Updated:February 02, 2026, 14:50 IST

Rahul Gandhi quoted excerpts from General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir in Lok Sabha, sparking uproar as Rajnath Singh objected, citing parliamentary rules.

Photos of Amit Shah/Cover of Naravane's unpublished book/Rahul Gandhi

An exchange in the Lok Sabha on Monday, over quotations that the Union Ministers said were taken from an unpublished memoir of former Chief of Army Staff, General MM Naravane, escalated into an uproar, as the Speaker repeatedly reminded members of parliamentary rules on quoting unpublished material.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi read out passages he said were taken from the unpublished memoir while speaking during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh immediately objected, telling the House, “You cannot quote from a book, which is not even published."

WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT NARAVANE’s UNPUBLISHED BOOK

The passages being cited in the House relate to memoir excerpts attributed to Naravane.

The book was scheduled for release, but has not yet been officially published and is undergoing review by the Ministry of Defence before release.

The Caravan magazine published excerpts from the as-yet-unpublished manuscript, which allegedly describe decision-making and exchanges during the 2020 standoff with China in eastern Ladakh and the aftermath of the Galwan clash.

The extracts report that the former army chief allegedly questioned whether there were clear orders from political leadership at critical moments and described meetings and operational choices taken by military commanders.

The Caravan’s reportage characterises the manuscript as an “as-yet-unpublished memoir" titled ‘Four Stars of Destiny’ and quotes passages that portray tense interactions during the Ladakh crisis.

WHY THE BOOKS SPARKED A MASSIVE UPROAR IN PARLIAMENT

Initially, the Parliament’s dispute on Monday centred not on the broader themes of the book but on whether unpublished material may be quoted in the House and whether the specific extracts cited are authentic.

As the uproar continued, the Defence Minister and other Union Ministers in the House maintained that an unpublished book cannot be treated as an authenticated public source for parliamentary proceedings.

The Chair intervened repeatedly, directing the LoP to authenticate the material and reminding members that parliamentary convention and rules do not allow quoting from unpublished books or paper clippings.

Congress marshals, including KC Venugopal, backed the LoP’s claim of authenticity, while the Leader of Opposition maintained the material was “100 per cent authentic" and said he was responding to allegations from the opposite benches.

Rajnath Singh pressed the point several times, demanding to know “which book" was being cited and asking that a published copy be produced if quotations were to be placed on record.

The Speaker cited established practice, including parliamentary rules invoked during the exchanges, and warned that members must follow the Chair’s rulings.

At one point, the Chair said it was not a new ruling but a convention Parliament follows. When the LoP persisted, the Chair warned it would call another member to speak.

The Lok Sabha had met to take up the Motion of Thanks on President Droupadi Murmu’s address delivered on January 28, a standard opening item for the Budget Session.

The House allocated 18 hours for debate on the motion.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reply later in the week, and the Budget Session will run through multiple sittings over a 65-day period.

Members used the allotted time to raise a range of issues, the quotation dispute emerged during the Leader of the Opposition’s remarks on matters relating to India’s relations with China and the Ladakh standoff, which the LoP claimed were relevant to the President’s address.

Before Rahul Gandhi had begun speaking, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya used his allotted time to sharply criticise the Congress and the UPA years, calling them a “decade of lost opportunities".

His remarks provoked interruptions from the Opposition, and Home Minister Amit Shah intervened in that earlier exchange.

The motion itself was moved by Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal and set the stage for the longer debate in which the quotation dispute later surfaced.

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