Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, sparked an uproar in Parliament on Monday after attempting to quote from a magazine article based on an unpublished memoir by former Army chief MM Naravane, which discusses the 2020 India–China standoff in eastern Ladakh.
Gandhi began his speech during the Budget Session by holding up a printout of the article, which carries excerpts from Naravane’s forthcoming book Four Stars of Destiny. The move immediately drew objections from treasury bench leaders, triggering repeated interruptions and eventually leading to the adjournment of the House.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was the first to object, arguing that citing an unpublished book violated parliamentary rules. “I want that the LoP should present before the House the book he is quoting from, because the book he is referring to has not been published,” Singh said. “I can say with confidence, the book has not been published.”
Home Minister Amit Shah echoed the objection, asking, “When the book has not even been published, how can he quote from it?” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju went further, suggesting the House should discuss “what should be done with a member who does not obey the Speaker’s ruling”.
The controversy unfolded as Gandhi repeatedly referred to phrases such as “Chinese tanks”, prompting sharp reactions from BJP members. “This is an effort to mislead the House,” Rajnath Singh said during one of several interventions.
As the interruptions mounted, Gandhi questioned the government’s resistance. “What does it contain which is scaring them so much?” he asked. “If they are not scared, I should be allowed to read on.” He maintained that the article and the excerpts it carried were “100 per cent authentic”.
The Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla, sided with the ministers, citing rules and conventions of the House. “Newspaper clippings, books and other such material that are not authentic cannot be cited,” Birla said, asking Gandhi to continue his speech without referring to the article.
Even when Gandhi offered to describe the contents instead of quoting them, the Speaker refused. “I have given my ruling,” Birla said. “You should follow the rules. You are the Leader of the Opposition. The country can decide whether you are maintaining the dignity of the position.”
At one point, Gandhi altered his phrasing, saying “some country’s tanks were approaching” after being stopped from mentioning China directly. This too was objected to, with the Speaker reminding him to confine his remarks to the President’s address. “There is no mention of India–China in that address, so please do not raise issues that negatively impact India’s international standing,” Birla said.
Rahul Gandhi countered that foreign relations should be open to parliamentary debate. “International relations, whether with Pakistan, China or others, should be discussed here,” he argued, adding that Naravane’s book spoke about the conduct of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Defence Minister. He was interrupted mid-sentence.
Support for Gandhi came from Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who urged that the Opposition leader be allowed to speak. “The issue relating to China is very sensitive. The Leader of Opposition should be allowed to speak,” Yadav said.
As tempers rose on both sides of the House and repeated objections continued, proceedings were adjourned until 3 pm. Once it resumed at 3pm, chaos unfolded and the house was yet again, adjourned till 4pm.
The uproar centred on excerpts from Naravane’s memoir, which is slated for publication by Penguin but is reportedly awaiting government clearance. Portions of the manuscript were published by news agencies in December 2023, and pre-orders were briefly listed on e-commerce platforms before being taken down.
