Rahul Gandhi, Rajnath Singh clash over ex-Army chief's unpublished memoir
What's the story
The Lok Sabha was thrown into chaos on Monday as Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi tried to quote from an unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General Manoj Naravane. The incident took place during the ongoing Budget Session when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh interrupted Gandhi's speech. Singh asked Gandhi if the book had been published. Gandhi mentioned that it was quoted in a magazine article by The Caravan.
Controversial citation
Speaker backs ministers' objections
Singh insisted that Gandhi could not quote from an unpublished book. Home Minister Amit Shah supported Singh, saying, "Newspaper clippings, books, or other such things that are not authentic cannot be cited in the House." Speaker Om Birla also backed the ministers' objections, citing parliamentary rules. Despite this, Gandhi maintained that The Caravan magazine had "100% genuine" excerpts from Naravane's memoir and demanded to be allowed to quote them.
Support and opposition
Congress, SP MPs back Gandhi
Congress MP KC Venugopal said the government could respond after allowing Gandhi to quote. Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav also supported Gandhi, saying issues related to China are sensitive. However, Birla maintained that quoting unrelated books is not allowed, even if published. After nearly 45 minutes of heated exchanges, Parliament was adjourned till 3pm.
Session outline
Budget session to continue till April 2
The Budget session will have 30 sittings over 65 days, ending on April 2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply on February 4, while Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to reply on February 11. The two Houses will adjourn for a recess on February 13 and reconvene on March 9 for Standing Committees to examine Demands for Grants.
Excerpt
What magazine article alleges
The article in question, appearing in The Caravan, centers on the Ladakh stand-off between India and China in 2020. General Naravane, in his unpublished memoir titled Four Stars Of Destiny, has written about the violent clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Pangong Lake area. After interjections by Singh, Shah, and Kiren Rijiju, Gandhi said, "What does it contain that is scaring them so much? If they are not scared, I should be allowed to read on."