Lok Sabha Uproar as Rahul Gandhi Cites Unpublished Naravane Book on Doklam; Government Objects, House Adjourned

Raising the issue during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, Gandhi referred to Four Stars of Destiny, General Naravane’s yet-to-be-published memoir, to allege that four Chinese tanks had entered the Doklam area during the standoff with China. His statement immediately drew protests from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah, who questioned the authenticity and admissibility of the source.

Singh argued that Parliament rules do not allow references to unpublished material. “If these statements have been published, then mention them; if not, leave it,” the Defence Minister said, demanding clarity on whether the claims were part of any publicly available record. Shah supported the objection, asserting that Gandhi himself had acknowledged the book was unpublished, making the reference inadmissible.

Speaker Om Birla intervened, reminding the Leader of Opposition that only verified and published sources, such as newspaper reports, could be cited on the floor of the House. Despite repeated warnings, Gandhi continued to insist that the information was “100 per cent authentic” and linked to a magazine article that quoted the former Army Chief.

As the exchange escalated, members from both the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition shouted slogans, leading the Speaker to order Gandhi’s microphone to be switched off. The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 3 pm after Gandhi had spoken for nearly 46 minutes.

When proceedings resumed, the standoff continued. Gandhi attempted to raise the issue again, arguing that it concerned national security and India’s border situation with China. He questioned why he was being prevented from speaking, alleging that the government was “scared” of the truth coming out. “What happened to the 56-inch chest when China was standing against us?” he asked, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Fresh protests followed, forcing another adjournment at 4 pm. The House was eventually suspended for the day, to reconvene at 11 am on Tuesday.

The controversy spilled beyond the House, with political reactions intensifying through the day. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Gandhi of politicising national security and undermining the morale of the armed forces. “National security should not be turned into a political tool,” Rijiju said, warning against the use of “unauthenticated” claims in Parliament.

BJP MPs also joined the criticism. Nishikant Dubey accused the Congress leader of misleading the House and revisiting what he called the Nehru family’s past conflicts with senior military leaders. Giriraj Singh alleged that Gandhi had disrespected parliamentary decorum and questioned his right to speak on sensitive security matters without substantiated sources.

The Opposition, however, rallied behind Gandhi. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said border security was a matter of national importance and Parliament was the right forum to discuss it. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor argued that the government had overreacted, noting that Gandhi was questioning decisions of the political leadership, not the armed forces. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra maintained that the reference was based on published material and asked why the government appeared defensive.

General M.M. Naravane’s autobiography, Four Stars of Destiny, is slated for publication by Penguin but has not yet been released. While excerpts have reportedly appeared in magazines, the government maintained that unpublished material cannot be formally cited in Parliament.

The episode underscored deep political fault lines over how India’s China policy and border tensions should be debated in Parliament. While the government stressed procedural discipline and the need to avoid speculation on sensitive security issues, the Opposition accused it of stifling debate and avoiding accountability.

With repeated adjournments consuming much of the day’s business, the disruption also highlighted broader concerns about parliamentary functioning during the Budget Session, where contentious political issues continue to collide with procedural rules.