Four Stars of Destiny, Zero Chill in Parliament: Rahul Escalates Memoir Row

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday intensified the political storm over former Army Chief Gen MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir , taking the controversy beyond the Lok Sabha chamber and into the Parliament premises. Gandhi displayed what he said was the unreleased manuscript to reporters, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing in his leadership during the 2020 India-China border conflict and “shedding responsibility” onto the Army Chief.

Gandhi held up the memoir, despite repeated denials by the government, Speaker, and Defence Minister that any such book existed, insisting young Indians should see it for themselves. He reiterated claims that, according to the memoir, the Army sought clear orders when Chinese forces advanced but received none, leaving commanders without direction.

The immediate trigger for the controversy was Gandhi’s attempt to quote from a magazine article that cited excerpts from Naravane’s unpublished memoir during the Motion of Thanks debate. Speaker Om Birla and government leaders objected, invoking Rule 349 of the Lok Sabha procedures , which bars reading books or letters not formally before the House. This led to heated exchanges and multiple adjournments of the House earlier in the week. On Tuesday, Gandhi even authenticated the article in Parliament, submitting a signed copy to the Chair, but proceedings remained deadlocked as Opposition MPs raised slogans and refused to let the business continue normally.

The standoff spilled into chaos when members of the Opposition protested Gandhi being stopped from speaking. In the altercation, several MPs allegedly climbed on the secretary‑general’s table, tore up papers, and hurled them toward the Chair. As a result, eight Opposition MPs , mostly from the Congress and one from CPI‑M, were suspended for the remainder of the Budget Session, which runs until April 2.

The memoir in question, understood to be titled Four Stars of Destiny , has been pending publication for years because it requires clearance from the Ministry of Defence . Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has repeatedly told the Lok Sabha that the book has never been published or formally presented in Parliament. Amid the political furor, listings for the book have reportedly disappeared from major online retail platforms like Amazon and Flipkart , raising fresh questions about access and censorship amid the controversy.