Shashi Tharoor Questions Government’s Response to Former Army Chief’s Memoir Controversy

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has questioned the government’s excessive reaction that halted proceedings in the Lok Sabha over Rahul Gandhi being stopped from citing excerpts from former Army Chief M. M. Naravane’s unpublished memoirs. Tharoor asked why the government appears to be afraid of open discussion, noting that the article Gandhi referenced is already publicly available.

Exaggerated Government Reaction Disrupted Parliamentary Proceedings
Speaking in Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor criticized the government for its overreaction, which led to the suspension of House proceedings. “The government responded unnecessarily and in an exaggerated manner. From what I understand, the issue Rahul Gandhi wanted to raise is already publicly accessible,” he said.

Publicly Available Article Could Be Referenced by Anyone
Tharoor explained that Gandhi had referred to an article published in Caravan magazine, which cited Naravane’s unpublished memoirs. “Instead of objecting on the grounds that the book has not yet been published, the government should have allowed the discussion, as the article itself is publicly available. Anyone, including myself, can read it now,” he said.

Parliament’s Role is to Encourage Discussion
Tharoor further alleged that the government’s overreaction unnecessarily disrupted parliamentary proceedings. The former Union Minister emphasized, “In my view, it would have been more appropriate for Parliament to allow the discussion to continue, as the purpose of this House is to engage in debate and deliberation.”