Uproar in Parliament: Why did Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh object to Rahul Gandhi's speech in Lok Sabha?

Budget Session: The Lok Sabha witnessed uproar on Monday as Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh countered Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over purported excerpts from the yet-to-be-published memoir of former Army Chief Manoj Naravane on the India-China clashes.

During his reply to the motion of thanks on the President’s address in Lok Sabha, a Congress leader began his speech by quoting a magazine that published Naravane’s memoir from an “unpublished” book.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh countered the LoP, saying he cannot quote from the “unpublished" book and asked him to authenticate it before the House.

“He should not be allowed to speak on this… I want that LoP, Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi), should present before the House the book he is quoting from, because the book he is referring to has not been published," Singh said during the uproar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House.

Former Army Chief General MM Naravane’s memoir, ‘Four Stars of Destiny’, remains unpublished as of early 2026 due to pending security clearances from the Ministry of Defence. The book is stuck in review due to sensitive details regarding the 2020 Ladakh standoff, China policy, and the Agnipath scheme.

Amit Shah objects too

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also objected and urged Speaker Om Birla not to allow anyone to read from a book that has not been published. “ The business of the day is motion of thanks to the President's address. Something which is not related to the business should not be allowed,” Shah said.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also came to Rahul Gandhi’s defence, saying this is a very sensitive issue. “Lohiyaji, Netaji (Mulayam Singh) and George Fernandes have all warned us about China. The matter relating to China is very sensitive. LoP, Lok Sabha should be allowed to speak," he said.

Speaker Birla also asked LoP not to break the rules and to read from an unpublished book. He urged Rahul Gandhi to stick to the President's address.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Speaker has given a ruling that articles from magazines or newspapers cannot be quoted in the House. "Debate in the House should be held according to the laws," he said.

Rahul Gandhi reiterated that he is responding to the President's address, since the President mentioned India's relations with China.

Amid the uproar, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the proceedings of the Lok Sabha.

What's Naravane's book?

General Manoj Mukund Naravane is a retired Indian Army General who served as the 28th Chief of the Army Staff and the temporary Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee from 15 December 2021 until his superannuation on 30 April 2022. He took over as COAS from General Bipin Rawat on 31 December 2019.

'Four Stars of Destiny', a typescript of which has been seen by The Caravan magazine, was supposed to go to press in April 2024.

“General Naravane shares lessons on leadership and management with universal applicability, and gives us an insider’s perspective on what else needs to be done to make the Armed Forces a more potent instrument of national power, ready to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century,” reads the blurb by its publisher, Penguin Books.

Extracts from the book were published by the news agency PTI in December 2023. Then, the entire publication process was halted.