New Delhi, Feb 10 (NationPress) BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi has fiercely criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, insisting that he must apologize to the nation for his statements in Parliament regarding a book supposedly written by former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, concerning the unpublished memoir on the 2020 Galwan Valley confrontation.

Trivedi asserted that Gandhi's allegations have been “clearly debunked” as both Penguin, the publisher, and General Naravane himself confirmed that no such book exists.

Penguin added that any copies appearing under Naravane’s name would be considered a violation of copyright.

Trivedi accused Gandhi of “misleading” Parliament and engaging in “petty politics” concerning national security.

He noted that while the Leader of the House had previously characterized Gandhi as an “abodh balak” (innocent child), his conduct resembled that of a “Shatir Balak” (clever child) intentionally spreading misinformation.

Labeling Gandhi’s actions as “unforgivable,” Trivedi stated, “This act of his, I am using the term crime within crime, is absolutely unforgivable. Clearly, he should apologize to the nation as both the publisher and the author have clarified the facts.”

The BJP spokesperson emphasized that this incident illustrates how the Congress party is diminishing the political discourse by intertwining national security with partisan conflicts and reiterated that Rahul Gandhi is solely accountable for misleading both the House and the public.

The “memoir” has become a contentious point in Parliament, where Gandhi attempted to reference alleged excerpts during discussions, resulting in multiple interruptions, challenges from the treasury benches, and the suspension of opposition members.

The government has maintained that the book is currently under review by the Ministry of Defence, while the Opposition accuses it of concealing uncomfortable realities regarding national security.

The Delhi Police have filed an FIR concerning the supposed leak and distribution of the unpublished manuscript, adding another layer of complexity to the situation.

General Naravane's endorsement of the publisher's statement seems to clarify the book's status, although the political repercussions continue to disrupt House proceedings.

The controversy, which has stalled Lok Sabha proceedings for over a week, revolves around Gandhi's attempts to cite purported excerpts from Naravane's book, “Four Stars of Destiny,” during debates.

Gandhi alleged that the government was suppressing the memoir due to revelations that contradict its narrative concerning the India-China border dispute.

Trivedi stated that clarifications from both the publisher, Penguin, and General Naravane himself have rendered Gandhi's statements as unfounded.

“It is evident that Rahul Gandhi's attempt to fabricate a narrative on the floor of the House in order to mislead is part of his petty politics.”

As the Budget Session progresses amid rising tensions, calls for resolution multiply to restore normalcy in parliamentary operations.

Former Army Chief General (Retd) M.M. Naravane addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding his unpublished memoirs about the 2020 Galwan stand-off between India and China, even as the confrontation between the government and Opposition escalated on Tuesday.

General (Retd) Naravane took to social media to share the current “status” of the book, which has been at the heart of the government-Opposition clash and is a key reason for the week-long impasse in the Lok Sabha.

“This is the status of the book,” General Naravane posted on X, including the clarification from publisher Penguin regarding his unpublished book titled 'Four Stars of Destiny'.

Parliamentary sessions, disrupted for over a week due to the deadlock over his memoirs concerning the India-China 2020 confrontation, witnessed the conflict intensifying as Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi disputed claims that the book was under the review of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and asserted that it was indeed in the public domain.

Speaking to the press, he mentioned that the book was available on e-commerce sites like Amazon and also noted that the General himself encouraged people to read his accounts of the Galwan face-off in the book, dating back to 2023.

However, Penguin Random House swiftly addressed the situation, affirming that it was the sole publisher of the book and warning of legal action should it be disseminated without authorization.

General Naravane’s succinct statement regarding the status of the contentious book clarifies the situation and resolves the controversy sparked by the Congress’s claims of the book being publicly accessible and allegations against the Centre of obstructing its release due to “discomforting truths.”