New Delhi, February 2, 2026: The Lok Sabha witnessed intense uproar and repeated disruptions today as Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi attempted to cite excerpts from the unpublished memoir of former Chief of Army Staff General M.M. Naravane (Retd.) during his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address.
Gandhi, holding a printout of a magazine article (reportedly from The Caravan) that discussed the yet-to-be-released book titled Four Stars of Destiny, sought to quote passages related to the 2020 India-China military standoff in eastern Ladakh. He referenced details about Chinese forces' movements, including an incident involving Chinese tanks approaching Indian positions near the Kailash Range, and positioned it as evidence to counter BJP MP Tejasvi Surya's earlier remarks questioning the Congress party's patriotism.
"This is from the memoirs of Army Chief Naravane… you will understand who is patriotic and who is not," Gandhi stated, before attempting to read out sections on national security matters, including the proximity of Chinese troops to Indian forces.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh immediately interrupted, objecting strongly on the grounds that quoting from an unpublished book violated parliamentary rules and conventions. He demanded authentication and argued that material not in the public domain could not be cited in the House. Home Minister Amit Shah echoed the objection, questioning the credibility of references from an unreleased source and a magazine article, stating, "When the book has not even been published, how can he quote from it?" Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also joined in, highlighting procedural concerns under rules such as Rule 349, which restricts the use of unverified or non-public documents.
The Speaker, Om Birla, repeatedly intervened, reminding members that unpublished material or newspaper/magazine clippings on unrelated matters cannot be quoted, and urged adherence to House procedures. Despite this, Gandhi persisted, asserting the source was "100% authentic" and challenging why the government appeared "scared" of the revelations. He alleged attempts to suppress the book's publication and linked it to broader criticisms of the government's handling of the Ladakh standoff.
The treasury benches' objections led to noisy scenes, with opposition members protesting in support of Gandhi. The House was adjourned multiple times amid the chaos, including once till 3 PM, as the row continued for nearly an hour.
The memoir Four Stars of Destiny remains unpublished, reportedly pending security clearances from the Ministry of Defence due to sensitive details on the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, the broader eastern Ladakh crisis, and other military-policy decisions during Naravane's tenure (2019–2022).
The incident has reignited political debate over transparency in national security matters, parliamentary protocols, and the ongoing India-China border tensions. Opposition leaders, including from Congress, accused the government of misusing rules to silence criticism, while ruling party members maintained that procedural integrity must be upheld to prevent misleading the House on sensitive issues.
Further discussions on the Motion of Thanks are expected to resume amid heightened political temperatures in the ongoing Budget Session.
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