‘This is the status’: Ex-Army Chief Gen Naravane breaks silence amid row over memoir

NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday cited a December 2023 social media post by former Army chief Gen M M Naravane informing people that his book is “available now”, to rebut publisher Penguin Random House India’s statement that the ‘memoir’ has not yet been published.

Gandhi said he believes the word of the former Army chief over Penguin. After Gandhi’s remarks, publisher Penguin Random House India (PRHI) said an announcement about a book or its availability for pre-order should not be interpreted as publication.

In its statement under the heading “A quick guide to how book publishing works at Penguin Random House India”, the publisher said, “An announced book, a book available for pre-order, and a published book are not the same thing.”

In his first reaction since the controversy regarding his unpublished memoir, Naravane also shared on X a statement issued by the publisher, “Four Stars of Destiny”, that says no copies of the book “in print or digital form have been published, distributed, sold” or otherwise made available to the public.

Sharing the publisher’s statement on his official X handle, Naravane said, “This is the status of the book.”

Speaking with reporters in the Parliament House complex, however, Gandhi read out Naravane’s social media post on X (then Twitter), which said, “Hello friends. My book is available now. Just follow the link. Happy reading. Jai Hind.”

“This is the tweet Mr Naravane has made. The point I am making is either Mr Naravane is lying, and I believe the (former) Army chief, I don’t think he will lie, or Penguin is lying. Both cannot be telling the truth,” the Congress leader said.

The Congress leader also said that Naravane has made certain statements in the book that are “inconvenient” for the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier, Penguin Random House India said it holds the exclusive publishing rights to General Naravane’s memoir titled ‘Four Stars of Destiny”, and clarified that the book has not yet been published, amid reports of unauthorised copies in circulation.

The clarification came after Delhi Police registered an FIR over the alleged illegal circulation of the manuscript in digital and other formats.

In a statement issued on Monday, the publishing house clarified that no copies of the book – either in print or digital form – have been released to the public. It added that no copies of the book, “in print or digital form”, have been published, distributed, sold, or otherwise made available to the public by the company.

The publisher also warned that any version of the book currently circulating, whether in full or in part and in any format, including print, PDF or online copies, would amount to copyright infringement.