Amidst the ongoing political furor, former Indian Army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane has come forward to support his publisher, Penguin, in the controversy surrounding his yet-to-be-published memoir, 'Four Stars of Destiny'. Naravane's stance comes as the Delhi Police registered an FIR over the book's circulation, and the opposition seeks to remove Speaker Om Birla for perceived bias. The controversy began when Lok Sabha leader of opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote an excerpt from the memoir in the House on February 2, but was blocked by the treasury benches, citing House rules that prohibit the citation of unpublished material. The opposition parties have moved a no-confidence motion, accusing the Speaker of repeatedly siding with the government and obstructing Gandhi's speech. Penguin, in a statement, clarified that the book has not been published and that any copies in circulation infringe on their copyright. The publisher emphasized that they hold the sole publishing rights and will take legal action against unauthorized dissemination. The controversy centers around an excerpt where Naravane, the 28th Chief of Army Staff, quotes Defence Minister Rajnath Singh as conveying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message, 'Jo uchit samjho woh karo' (take whatever action you deem appropriate). This excerpt was made during the India-China military standoff in eastern Ladakh in August 2020. The opposition has criticized the vagueness of the instructions as an abdication of responsibility by Prime Minister Modi during the crisis.
