New Delhi [India], February 10 : Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday questioned the BJP-led government for not allowing Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to quote from former Army Chief General MM Naravane's unpublished memoir, asking, "What do they want to hide?"
Pilot asked whether the BJP was "scared of having a discussion on the book" and urged the government to allow Rahul Gandhi to speak on the issue in Parliament.
He said if any information mentioned in the book about the 2020 India-China standoff was incorrect, the government should refute it, and if it was correct, it should offer clarification.
"Tell me where the controversy is? Who is the author of the book that is being mentioned? He is someone who was made Army chief by this very government. If he is writing something, banning it or filing an FIR or not letting it be published, what do they want to hide? If Rahul Gandhi is mentioning excerpts from it and seeking clarification, what wrong is he doing? He is not an ordinary person; he is a former Army chief. If he has written something in the book, why is the Govt scared of having a discussion on it? If Govt feels that something wrong has been written, refute it. If it is correct, give a clarification...," Pilot told ANI.
The controversy began after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi quoted excerpts from the memoir in Parliament, claiming that it was available. He cited a 2023 social media post by General Naravane to support his claim.
Earlier on Tuesday, speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Rahul Gandhi referred to General Naravane's 2023 post on X and said the memoir was available for sale online.
Meanwhile, former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday confirmed that his memoir in discussion, "Four Stars of Destiny", has not yet been published, backing Penguin Random House India's statement.
Sharing a post on X, Gen Naravane wrote, "This is the status of the book."
This comes after Penguin Random House India issued a fresh statement earlier today in response to an allegation by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, clarifying that the book was announced and listed for pre-order but hasn't yet entered publication, distribution, or sale. Any circulating copies are unauthorised and constitute copyright infringement.
Earlier, a political row erupted after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sought to quote from the "pre-print book" of Naravane's memoir during his speech in Lok Sabha on the motion of Thanks on the President's Address last week, with the treasury benches strongly opposing his remarks. The Speaker passed a ruling, asking the LoP not to quote unpublished literature.
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