New Delhi: Amid the controversy surrounding the unpublished book ‘Four Stars of Destiny’ by former Army Chief Gen. M.M. Naravane, the BJP asserted on Wednesday that the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, along with other ‘fake’ leaders, is deceiving the nation by disseminating falsehoods.
Speaking to IANS, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh said, “To please foreign powers, Rahul Gandhi and other fake leaders are misleading the country by lying. The one who wrote that book and the one who is publishing that book are clearly saying that the book has not been published. But fake leader Rahul Gandhi, to get cheap popularity through a foreign toolkit, is repeating filmy drama, which is far from reality. Rahul Gandhi should publicly apologise to the whole nation.”
BJP MP Damodar Agrawal said, “The matter is very clear. The book has not been published. The Defence Minister has clearly stated this in the House. But if someone insists otherwise, then they themselves should clarify that it is published. After that, there will be action as per the law.”
C.R. Kesavan, the BJP National Spokesperson, also attacked the Congress and said, “Mr Rahul Gandhi’s fake and fraudulent book bomb has now been totally busted. The deception of the Congress party’s dirty tricks department has also been completely exposed by the former Army chief’s tweet reiterating the publisher’s stand that the said book has not been published.”
On the other hand, CPI(M) MP Amra Ram questioned the government’s handling of the issue. “Whether this actually happened or not, check with Naravane. You spoke to the Defence Minister and Home Minister in 2023. The way the government is acting, it seems they are not willing to listen to the people’s voice. The Leader of Opposition is not being allowed to speak,” he said.
Amra Ram also said, “I have been in the Rajasthan Assembly for 20 years. The Leader of Opposition and even the Defence Minister have no time restrictions. Whenever they want to raise an issue, they have the opportunity to respond and present the opposition’s voice.”
Eight days after his unpublished memoir triggered a political firestorm that continues to rage, former Army chief General (retired) Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday broke his silence on the controversial autobiography. He endorsed his publisher’s stand that the book has not been published and that no copies were “printed, distributed, sold or otherwise made available to the public” either in print or digital form.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi responded on Tuesday to Penguin Random House India’s note about the memoir, which has become the focus of a sharp political confrontation in Parliament between the ruling BJP and the opposition.
Penguin Random House India on Tuesday confirmed that it holds exclusive publishing rights and that the manuscript has not been published in any form so far. The publishing house said it wished to make its position clear in light of reports suggesting that unauthorised copies were being circulated.
The controversy has sparked intense debate in Parliament, with the BJP accusing the Congress party of spreading misinformation, while opposition leaders have demanded clarity on the contents and circumstances related to the book.
Naravane served as the Army Chief from December 31, 2019, to April 30, 2022 — a period marked by heightened military activity in eastern Ladakh in the backdrop of the standoff along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC).
(IANS)
