Rahul Gandhi a 'national embarrassment' over memoir row: BJP's Poonawalla

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla called Rahul Gandhi a 'national embarrassment' for his claims about Gen MM Naravane's memoir. Both Naravane and publisher Penguin confirmed the book is not yet published, refuting Gandhi's allegations in Parliament.

BJP Slams Rahul Gandhi

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Wednesday criticised Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over the controversy surrounding excerpts from former Army Chief General MM Naravane's unpublished memoir, titled 'Four Stars of Destiny', accusing the Congress leader of flouting parliamentary norms and becoming a "national embarrassment."

"Rahul Gandhi has become a laughing stock and the biggest embarrassment for the nation. He mentions the wrong year on paper when bringing a no-confidence motion against the speaker. Penguin Publishing had to clarify that it has not published the book. Rahul Gandhi thinks of himself above the rules and regulations of the Parliamnet," Poonawala told ANI. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police Special Cell has issued a notice to Penguin India. In the notice, several questions were raised, and responses were sought.

Rahul Gandhi's Justification

On Tuesday, speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Gandhi cited General MM Naravane's 2023 X post and claimed the memoir was available for sale online. "Hello friends, my book is available now. Just follow the link. Happy Reading, Jai Hind. This is the tweet Mr Naravane made. Either he is lying, which I don't believe, or the Penguin (publisher) is lying. Both cannot be telling the truth. Penguin says the book has not been published. But the book is available on Amazon. Gen. Naravane has tweeted, "Please buy my book" in 2023. I believe Naravane over Penguin. Do you believe Penguin over Naravane? I believe Naravane has made certain statements in his book which are inconvenient for the Government of India and the Prime Minister. Obviously, you have to decide if Penguin or the former Army chief is telling the truth," the Congress MP said.

Gen Naravane, Publisher Clarify Status

Further, former Army Chief General Naravane confirmed that his memoir, "Four Stars of Destiny", has not yet been published, backing Penguin Random House India's statement. Sharing a post on X, Gen Naravane wrote, "This is the status of the book."

Meanwhile, Penguin Random House India issued a fresh statement in response to an allegation by Rahul Gandhi, clarifying that the book was announced and listed for pre-order but hasn't yet entered publication, distribution, or sale. Any circulating copies are unauthorised and constitute copyright infringement.

"A book is considered published only when it is available for purchase across retail channels," Penguin Random House said in a statement that it posted on its social media platforms."Pre-order is a standard publishing practice. It allows readers and retailers to place advance orders. The book is not yet published or available," it said.

Row Erupts in Parliament

A political row erupted after Rahul Gandhi sought to quote from the "pre-print book" version of Naravane's memoir during his speech in the Lok Sabha on the motion of thanks to the President's Address last week, with the treasury benches strongly opposing his remarks. The Speaker passed a ruling, asking the LoP not to quote unpublished literature. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)