Rahul Gandhi’s China Reference Citing Naravane Memoir Triggers Lok Sabha Uproar
<p>Rahul Gandhi’s China remarks citing Gen Naravane’s memoir spark major Lok Sabha ruckus.</p>
advertisement
On 3 February, proceedings in the Lok Sabha were repeatedly disrupted after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from the unpublished memoir of former Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane.
Gandhi’s remarks, which referenced the 2020 India–China border standoff, led to strong objections from senior government ministers and the Speaker, resulting in adjournments and heated exchanges between Treasury and Opposition benches.
According to The Indian Express, Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of China during the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address. He attempted to cite passages from General Naravane’s unpublished memoir, which prompted immediate objections from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
The ministers invoked Rule 349(i) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha, which restricts members from reading any book, newspaper, or letter except in connection with the business of the House.
As highlighted by The Indian Express, Speaker Om Birla directed Gandhi not to quote from the memoir, stating that the book was unpublished and therefore could not be authenticated in the House.
Despite the Speaker’s ruling, Gandhi continued to refer to both the memoir and a related magazine article, leading to further protests from the government benches. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju accused Gandhi of repeatedly breaking parliamentary norms, while Congress MPs defended Gandhi’s right to speak on national security issues.
During the session, Gandhi argued that his references were relevant to the President’s Address and were in response to allegations made by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya regarding the Congress party’s stance on national security. The Speaker reiterated that Gandhi needed to authenticate any material he was quoting, but Gandhi insisted on the authenticity of his sources. The situation escalated, with the Speaker adjourning the House after repeated disruptions, The Indian Express reported.
As per the Indian Express, further details on the content of General Naravane’s memoir carried the details of the 2020 Ladakh standoff. The memoir, titled ‘In Four Stars of Destiny’, reportedly includes detailed communications between General Naravane and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during the movement of Chinese tanks in eastern Ladakh. The book remains unpublished, pending review by the Indian Army and the Ministry of Defence.
In the aftermath of the session, Gandhi told reporters that he was not being allowed to speak in the House and questioned why the government was “scared” of his remarks. The government maintained that quoting from an unpublished book was not permissible under House rules, and that Gandhi’s actions were in violation of established procedures as reporting indicated.
Later, several Congress MPs shared images of the magazine article quoting the relevant portions of the memoir on social media. The Speaker’s attempts to resolve the issue did not yield a consensus, and the House was adjourned for the day. The Congress and other Opposition parties announced their intention to insist that Gandhi be allowed to speak without interruption when the House reconvened as details emerged.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.