New Delhi: The Lok Sabha witnessed sharp exchanges on Monday after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi referred to a magazine article based on an unpublished memoir by former Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane during his speech on the motion of thanks to the President’s address.
Rahul began his intervention by holding a printed copy of the magazine article, which discussed General Naravane’s unpublished book “Four Stars of Destiny”. The book contains references to the India-China border stand-off in eastern Ladakh in 2020.
Senior government members immediately objected. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh intervened, saying that quoting from an unpublished book violated parliamentary rules. He noted that the book had not entered the public domain and could not be cited.
The eastern Ladakh stand-off began on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Pangong Lake area. General Naravane, the Army chief at the time, wrote about the incident in his memoir, and a magazine essay discussed excerpts from it.
Despite repeated objections, Rahul tried to continue his remarks, prompting interventions from Home Minister Amit Shah and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. Amit Shah questioned how a member could quote from an unpublished book. Kiren Rijiju emphasized following the Speaker’s directions.
As tensions rose, the leader of the Opposition asked why the government opposed his reference and insisted that the article he quoted was authentic. In a series of video posts on X, Rahul also said he raised the issue after someone questioned his and his party’s patriotism.
The repeated disruptions led Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the Lok Sabha till 3 pm. When the House reconvened, Rahul Gandhi again referred to the same issue, triggering another adjournment.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi defended her brother, saying he only referred to an account attributed to a former Army chief and did not intend to defame the Army. The proceedings remained disrupted for most of the day.
