Rahul Gandhi vs Rajnath Singh as Unreleased Army Chief Book Sparks Uproar

A heated political showdown unfolded in the Lok Sabha on Monday after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi referred to an article based on an unpublished memoir of former Army chief General MM Naravane while speaking on the 2020 India-China border standoff in eastern Ladakh.

Holding up a magazine article that discussed General Naravane’s yet-to-be-released book Four Stars of Destiny, Rahul Gandhi began his speech by quoting from the piece. His move immediately drew sharp objections from Treasury bench leaders, triggering loud interruptions and eventually forcing the adjournment of the House.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was the first to object, stating that it was against parliamentary rules to quote from a book that had not been officially published. He demanded that Rahul Gandhi place the book before the House if he intended to quote from it.

“I want the Leader of the Opposition to present the book he is quoting from. The book he is referring to has not been published,” Rajnath Singh said.

The issue accelerated quickly, with Home Minister Amit Shah and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also joining the protest. Shah questioned the credibility of citing an unpublished work, while Rijiju went a step further, suggesting that the House should consider action against members who ignore the Speaker’s rulings.

The flashpoint of the debate was Rahul Gandhi’s repeated reference to “Chinese tanks” while discussing the Ladakh standoff, which drew strong reactions from BJP leaders across the House.

“When the book has not even been published, how can he quote from it?” Amit Shah asked.

Amid the uproar, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav came out in support of the Opposition leader, urging the House to allow Rahul Gandhi to speak. “The issue related to China is extremely sensitive. The Leader of Opposition should be allowed to present his views,” Yadav said.

As interruptions continued, Rahul Gandhi pushed back, questioning the government’s discomfort with the contents of the book. “What does it contain that is scaring them so much? If they are not scared, I should be allowed to read on,” he said.

The Congress leader insisted that both the article and the contents he was quoting were “100 per cent authentic”. He added that he had not intended to raise the issue but felt compelled to respond after BJP MP Tejasvi Surya questioned the Congress party’s patriotism.

Government sources later criticised Rahul Gandhi’s conduct, accusing him of lowering the dignity of Parliament. “He is reading whatever he feels on the floor of the House. This sets a dangerous precedent,” sources said, alleging that such practices could lead to the spread of unverified information.

“Tomorrow, anyone can claim something exists in an unpublished book. This is nothing but a fake news factory being run inside Parliament,” the sources added.

With tempers flaring and proceedings repeatedly disrupted, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla eventually adjourned the House till 3 pm.

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