Rahul Gandhi Triggers Lok Sabha Uproar With Quote From Unpublished Army Chief Book
Lok Sabha chaos as Rahul Gandhi cites ex-Army Chief Naravane’s unpublished memoir on China border.
The Lok Sabha on Monday witnessed unprecedented disruption as opposition and treasury benches clashed fiercely over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to cite an unpublished memoir by former Army Chief General Mukund Naravane. Despite repeated appeals by Speaker Om Birla, the House remained engulfed in loud protests and slogan-shouting.
The turmoil erupted during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address when Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the Centre. He referred to a magazine article allegedly based on Naravane’s memoirs, accusing the government of suppressing the views of a senior military officer while questioning the Congress party’s patriotism.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah immediately objected, stating that quoting from an unpublished book violated parliamentary norms. Rajnath Singh dismissed Gandhi’s remarks as speculative and misleading, asserting that claims from an unpublished source could not be treated as verified facts.
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As Gandhi persisted, asking, “What is the government scared of?”, Speaker Om Birla cautioned opposition members against citing unverified material, warning that it constituted a breach of parliamentary procedure. However, the warning failed to calm tempers, with opposition members intensifying their protests.
The situation escalated further when Gandhi alleged that Chinese tanks were advancing toward the Indian border, triggering sharp rebuttals from BJP leaders. Amit Shah urged the Speaker to restrain the Leader of Opposition from what he termed “falsified and misleading claims” that could undermine national security discussions.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav later joined the opposition’s defence of Gandhi, arguing that sensitive issues like the China border warranted open discussion. Congress MPs also accused the Speaker of bias, claiming BJP members were previously allowed to make unverified historical claims, adding yet another layer to the ongoing parliamentary deadlock.
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