Rahul shows Naravane’s unreleased memoir, claims PM shed responsibility

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday cited former Army chief MM Naravane’s ‘unreleased’ memoir to claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi shed responsibility during the India-China conflict in 2020 and passed the buck on to the general.

Addressing reporters in the premises of Parliament House complex, Gandhi held up the ‘unreleased’ memoir and said he would like the youngsters in India to know that this ‘book’ exists despite the government claiming otherwise.

“The Speaker has said this book does not exist, the government has said it does not exist, Defence minister Rajnath Singh ji has said this book does not exist. Every youngster in India should see this book exists,” Gandhi said.

He said Naravane has written the full account of what happened in Ladakh.

Gandhi said he has been told that he cannot quote from this “memoir” in Lok Sabha.

“The main line is what the PM said -- ‘jo uchit samjho woh karo’. The chief of army staff Gen Naravane called Rajnath Singh and said ‘Chinese tanks have come on Kailash ridge, what should we do? Rajnath Singh did not reply to him at first. He (Naravane) asked S Jaishankar, NSA (Ajit Doval) and Rajnath Singh ji, but did not get a reply,” the Congress leader said citing the ‘memoir’.

“He (Naravane) again called Rajnath Singh ji who said ‘I will ask from the top’. There was a standing order from the top that if ‘Chinese forces come in then do not fire on them without asking us’. Naravane ji and our army wanted to fire on those tanks because they had entered our territory,” he said.

“Narendra Modi gave the message - ‘jo uchit samjho woh karo’. Meaning he shed responsibility. ‘Unhone army chief se kaha aapko jo karna hai karo meri bas ki nahi hai’ (He told the army chief, you do whatever you want, it is beyond me)” Gandhi said, citing the book.

The former Congress chief further said the Army chief has written that he felt alone and was abandoned by the entire establishment.

“This is what they are scared of me saying in Parliament,” Gandhi said.

“I don’t think the PM will have the guts to come to the Lok Sabha today. If he comes, I am going to give him this book,” he said.

Later in the day, the Lok Sabha witnessed dramatic scenes as women Opposition MPs marched towards the Treasury benches holding banners ahead of Modi’s scheduled reply to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address. The prime minister was not present in the House. The House was adjourned for the day.

Taking a swipe at Modi, Gandhi said in a post in Hindi, “As I said, PM Modi won’t come to Parliament because he is scared and doesn’t want to face the truth.”

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi also took a dig at Modi, saying “he got scared and did not come to Parliament”.