Rahul Gandhi and Rajnath Singh Clash Over Ex-Army Chief Memoirs

New Delhi | February 2, 2026 — The Lok Sabha witnessed high-voltage drama on Monday as Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh locked horns over the 2020 Ladakh standoff. The flashpoint? Excerpts from former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane’s unpublished memoir, Four Stars of Destiny.

The debate, part of the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, was repeatedly derailed as the treasury benches and the opposition sparred over “national security” and “parliamentary rules.”

The Spark: “Four Stars of Destiny”

Rahul Gandhi initiated the confrontation by quoting a magazine article that detailed excerpts from Gen Naravane’s yet-to-be-released book. The excerpts purportedly describe the tense night of August 31, 2020, when Chinese tanks moved toward Indian positions at Rechin La.

According to the cited text, Gen Naravane had sought clear directives from the political leadership, only to be told by Rajnath Singh to “do whatever you deem appropriate.” Gandhi used this to question the government’s decisiveness and transparency regarding the border crisis.

“I want to read from the memoirs of the Army Chief… You will understand exactly who is patriotic and who is not,” Gandhi stated, responding to earlier jabs by BJP’s Tejasvi Surya.

The Defense: “Unpublished and Unverified”

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led a swift counter-offensive, supported by Home Minister Amit Shah and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. Singh raised a procedural objection, questioning the authenticity of a book that has not yet hit the shelves.

• Authenticity: Singh challenged Gandhi to lay the book on the table of the House, asserting that quoting from an unpublished, unverified source violates parliamentary norms.
• The Legal Argument: Singh pointedly asked why Gen Naravane had not sought a court order if the government was “stalling” his book, as Gandhi alleged.
• National Interest: Kiren Rijiju accused Gandhi of “portraying the country in a poor light” and failing to stand united on sensitive border issues.

Speaker Intervenes Amid Chaos

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla ultimately ruled that members cannot quote from unpublished books or unauthenticated magazine articles. Despite this, Gandhi remained adamant, leading to multiple adjournments.

“Which rule says I cannot speak on India-China relations?” Gandhi retorted, arguing that the Presidential Address naturally encompasses international relations and national security.

Key Points of Contention

What’s Next?

The standoff over General Naravane’s book has reignited a fierce debate over the Agnipath scheme and the 2020 Galwan clashes, both of which are reportedly covered in the memoir. With the book still under “official review” by the Ministry of Defence, the political tug-of-war is unlikely to settle soon.