Gandhi started row on Feb 2, but not with the book as such; he first brought a magazine article to LS, then flashed printed copy of ‘4 Stars of Destiny’ outside. When the Delhi Police registered as case against online circulation of former Indian Army chief Gen MM Naravane’s unpublished autobiography on Monday, it was only the latest twist in a row that started in Parliament last Monday. A week later cops are trying to track how the PDF copy of the memoir went viral.
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi started it on February 2, but not really with the book as such. The Congress MP brought to the House a printout of an article in The Caravan magazine. That article further referred to excerpts from the book, ‘Four Stars of Destiny’, that’s is pending for approval with the Ministry of Defence. Rahul Gandhi said passages from the book show Prime Minister Narendra Modi “ran from his responsibility” when Gen Naravane told him about some “Chinese tanks approaching Indian territory in 2020”, weeks after a clash in Galwan valley claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers.
Gen MM Naravane served as India’s Chief of Army Staff from December 2019 to April 2022. “First, they said that I cannot quote a book. Then I said I’m not quoting a book, I’m quoting a magazine. Then they said you cannot quote a magazine. Then I said I’ll speak about it. Then they didn’t want me to speak about it,” Gandhi said this Monday, February 9, a week after the row began.
In between, the Congress leader even brought a printed copy of the book to the Parliament complex, which he said he would give to the PM. The PM did not come to the Lok Sabha that day, as BJP leaders and Speaker Om Birla later said there was a likelihood of Modi being attacked by Congress MPs in the House. Modi later spoke in the Rajya Sabha on the India-US trade deal, which was announced by US President Donald Trump and confirmed by the PM on February 2 night, just hours after the row over the book began in the Lok Sabha.
Parliament has remained stalled since, as Rahul continues to flash the book while the Opposition insists there be a discussion on its contents about China, as well as on the India-US trade deal framework, as part of international relations. Amid this, the Delhi police on Monday evening, February 9, said an investigation has been started into the circulation of a soft copy (in PDF format) of the unpublished autobiography of Gen MM Naravane.
“Delhi Police took cognizance of information found on various online social media platforms and news forums which claimed that a pre-print copy of the book ‘Four Stars of Destiny’ is being circulated,” a police spokesperson said. Necessary clearance for publication of this book is yet to be received from the relevant authorities, they added. “Upon verification, it was found that a PDF copy of a type-set book with the same title, and apparently prepared by M/s Penguin Random House India Pvt. Limited, is available on certain websites and, also, some online marketing platforms have displayed the finished book cover as if it is available for purchase,” the spokesperson further said.
“In order to carryout a thorough investigation into this purported leak/breach of a yet to be approved publication, a case has been registered with the Special Cell and investigation is being taken up,” they also said. It was not immediately clear what sections of law it would attract.
This FIR comes a couple of days after Rahul Gandhi held up a physical copy of the book on Parliament premises, as he doubled down on his claim that the Modi government mishandled the border dispute with China. Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General MM Naravane’s autobiography or memoir, ‘Four Stars of Destiny’, is not available for purchase as it needed government approval that’s not yet been granted.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh has asserted in the Lok Sabha, “I am confident, this book has never been published.” Gen Naravane has not spoken on the matter so far, though he has in the past confirmed that the book is pending for MoD approval.
Rahul Gandhi has claimed Gen Naravane wrote that when he informed Rajnath Singh and other leaders, including NSA Ajit Doval, about “Chinese tanks approaching”, he got no direct reply for a long time.
“And then he writes that the PM’s message conveyed to him was, ‘Jo uchit samjho, woh karo’ (Hindi for ‘do what you think is right’)… This means Narendra Modi ji did not fulfil his responsibility; effectively telling the army chief to handle it as he could not decide,” the Congress leader said. “Naravane ji has clearly said in this book, that he felt alone and was abandoned by the entire establishment,” Rahul Gandhi further claimed.
