New Delhi: The Lok Sabha witnessed sharp exchanges and disruption on Monday after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi cited excerpts from an unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane while targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during the Budget Session.
Members of the treasury benches objected strongly, arguing that Gandhi was quoting from a book that has not yet been published and whose authenticity could not be verified. The disagreement triggered heated scenes in the House, with both sides accusing each other of violating parliamentary norms.
Amid the controversy, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shared a video statement of General Naravane in which the former Army Chief says that “not an inch of land has been lost” and that Indian forces remain positioned as before. The BJP accused Gandhi of distorting facts to push a “false narrative” and dragging a former Army Chief into political debate using an unpublished manuscript.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju criticized Gandhi’s remarks, saying the opposition leader began quoting from an unauthenticated source in violation of House rules. He added that members are expected to follow established parliamentary procedures and cannot challenge the authority of the Chair.
The Congress, however, maintained that Gandhi was referring to a draft portion of Naravane’s memoir that allegedly mentions an incident dated August 31, 2020. According to the party, the reference was made in the context of raising concerns over India-China military tensions. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla repeatedly urged Gandhi not to cite unpublished material or magazines in the House, but the exchange continued to fuel confrontation.
The incident led to prolonged disruption, underscoring the tense atmosphere during the ongoing Budget Session.
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