Amid Naravane Memoir Row, Kiren Rijiju Defends Keeping Brooks-Bhagat Report Classified

Amid a row over Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to cite from an unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane in the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the Centre’s decision to keep the Henderson Brooks-Bhagat report on the 1962 India-China war classified.

Rijiju said that the report is a sensitive document and “cannot be used as a political tool,” as he criticised the Congress. The report, commissioned by then Acting Army Chief General JN Chaudhuri and prepared by Lieutenant General Henderson Brooks and Brigadier General Premindra Singh Bhagat, remains classified due to its defence implications, he said.

The minister further emphasised that the Modi government, unlike past administrations, treats national security documents with discretion and avoids politicising them. “Our govt is led by a matured Leader. Ever Since 1962, Henderson Brooks -Bhagat Commission Reports have remained as top secret documents,” Rijiju shared on social media.

The Henderson Brooks-Bhagat report, a review of the operations of the Indian Army during the Sino-India War of 1962, indicts the then Nehru government for its failures. However, Rijiju stressed the government’s stance is to protect classified information, and the report will continue to remain confidential as the country strengthens its border infrastructure and military preparedness.

“That report severely indicted Nehru Govt., for very humiliating defeat at the hands of Chinese PLA. Our Govt has never de-classified the report to expose Nehru ji & Congress Party. Sensitive defence and security matters should never be used as the political tools,” the minister added.

Our govt is led by a matured Leader. Ever Since 1962, Henderson Brooks -Bhagat Commission Reports have remained as top secret documents.
That report severely indicted Nehru Govt., for very humiliating defeat at the hands of Chinese PLA.
Our Govt has never de-classified the… https://t.co/cvyjuNvolc

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) February 6, 2026

Ruckus Over Naravane Memoir

Notably, during a debate on the Motion of Thanks in the Lok Sabha, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi tried to quote General Naravane’s unpublished memoir while addressing the 2020 China standoff in eastern Ladakh. BJP leaders argued that using the unpublished document violated House rules and could demoralise armed forces personnel, leading to heated confrontations in both Houses. The Opposition alleged that the Centre prevented Gandhi from speaking, intensifying the dispute.

During the Budget Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi indirectly criticised Congress over the episode, taking a veiled swipe at the party’s handling of parliamentary decorum. The Prime Minister also condemned Congress’s controversial remark labelling BJP MP Ravneet Singh Bittu a “traitor,” calling it an insult to the Sikh community and a reflection of the party’s “arrogance at its peak.”