New Delhi: The 2026 Budget Session of Parliament has been quite tumultuous. So far, the House has not been able to conduct its proceedings smoothly on any single day. The opposition is constantly accusing the ruling party of not allowing it to speak in the House. Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, are mobilizing and creating a ruckus in the House after being denied a chance to speak.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the publisher of the book “Four Stars of Destiny,” based on the memoirs of former Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane, of lying and claimed that the book is available for sale. The book’s publisher, Penguin Random House India, had stated that MM Naravane’s book has not yet been published and no copy, print or digital, has been published, distributed, sold, or made available to the public. Speaking to the media outside the House, Rahul Gandhi referred to General MM Naravane’s 2023 social media post titled “X” and also claimed that the memoir is available for sale online. Rahul, pointing to former Army Chief Naravane’s tweet, said, “Hello friends, my book is now available. Just follow the link. Happy reading, Jai Hind. This is Mr. Naravane’s tweet. Either he is lying, which I don’t believe, or Penguin (the publisher) is lying. Both cannot be true.” Rahul Gandhi said that Penguin says the book has not been published, but the book is available on Amazon. General Naravane tweeted, “Please buy my book in 2023. I trust Naravane ji more than Penguin ji. Do you trust Penguin ji more than Naravane ji? I think Naravane ji has said some things in his book that are not good for the Indian government and the Prime Minister. Obviously, you have to decide whether Penguin is telling the truth or the former Army Chief.”
Earlier on Monday, the book’s publisher issued a statement on social media, X, saying, “In light of recent public discussion and media reporting, Penguin Random House India would like to clarify that it holds the sole publishing rights to ‘Four Stars of Destiny,’ a memoir by former Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane. We would like to clarify that the book has not yet been published. Penguin Random House India has not published, distributed, sold, or otherwise made available to the public any copies of the book—in print or digital form.”
Penguin Random House India further stated that any copies currently in circulation, in any format or on any platform, constitute copyright infringement and should be immediately discontinued. The publisher stated that it will pursue all available legal remedies against the illegal and unauthorized dissemination of the book. It further stated that this statement was being issued to place the publisher’s position on record. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has taken cognizance of information received on various social media platforms and news forums claiming that a pre-print copy of the book “Four Stars of Destiny” is being circulated, and the Special Cell has registered a case for alleged infringement of an “unapproved publication.” Delhi Police officials stated that an investigation has been initiated into the claims of receiving a pre-print copy of the book.
Last week, during his speech in the Lok Sabha on the motion of thanks on the President’s address, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from a pre-print book by former Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, sparking a political uproar. The ruling party strongly opposed his remarks. The Speaker issued an order asking the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha not to quote from unpublished literature.
