'Either Naravane or Penguin...lying': Rahul Gandhi on unpublished book FIR
What's the story
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has responded to the registration of an FIR over the circulation of an unpublished book by former Army Chief General MM Naravane. The book, Four Stars of Destiny, was allegedly being shared without mandatory clearance from competent authorities. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament on the FIR, Gandhi pointed out an old tweet by Naravane, which he claimed read, "Hello friends, my book is available now; just follow the link. Happy reading!"
Book
'Penguin says book has not been published'
"The point I am making is - either Mr Naravane is lying or it is Penguin....I don't think the former Army chief will lie...Penguin says the book has not been published. But the book is available on Amazon. Gen. Naravane has tweeted, 'Please buy my book in 2023.' I believe Naravane...over Penguin," he added. He went on to claim again that Naravane must have made certain statements in his book that are inconvenient for the Centre and the prime minister.
Ongoing probe
Penguin Random House India involved in matter: Police
The Delhi Police on Monday took cognizance of information circulating online about a pre-print copy being publicly available without the required approvals. The police said that upon verification, they found a PDF copy of a typeset book with the same title, apparently prepared by Penguin Random House India Pvt Ltd, available on certain websites. Some online marketing platforms have also displayed the finished book cover as if it is available for purchase, the police statement said.
Political fallout
Row escalates as Gandhi continues to raise Naravane's book issue
After the FIR was filed, Penguin India clarified that it hasn't published or sold any copies of Naravane's memoir. "We wish to make it clear that the book has not gone into publication. No copies of the book - in print or digital form - have been published, distributed, sold, or otherwise made available to the public," it said. The publisher also said it would take legal action against those responsible for the illegal dissemination of this material.