Rahul Gandhi Criticizes PM Modi for Avoiding Parliament Amid Memoir Controversy
Gandhi's Accusations Against Modi
On Wednesday, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his belief that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not attend Parliament, claiming that he is 'scared' and unwilling to confront the truths revealed in the unpublished memoir of former Indian Army chief MM Naravane.
Earlier that day, Gandhi stated he doubted Modi would have the courage to appear in the Lok Sabha, offering to provide the prime minister with a copy of Naravane's memoir if he did show up.
Gandhi's remarks came after the Lok Sabha was adjourned before Modi could address the House during the Motion of Thanks debate regarding the president's address.
The prime minister was anticipated to speak at 5 PM, but the session was postponed until 11 AM the following day due to opposition protests.
Intensifying Opposition Protests
The opposition's protests escalated when BJP leader Nishikant Dubey introduced a series of books purportedly critical of the Gandhi family. Krishna Prasad Tenneti, a member of the Lok Sabha chairpersons' panel, intervened, citing Rule 349, which prohibits members from reading materials unrelated to House business.
Dubey's refusal to comply led to further protests from the opposition.
Later, the BJP accused the opposition of staging protests to prevent the ruling party from speaking in Parliament. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari remarked that the opposition's actions were aimed at obstructing Prime Minister Modi from discussing the recently announced India-United States trade deal.
Gandhi's Restrictions on Discussing Memoir
Since Monday, Gandhi has faced restrictions on discussing excerpts from Naravane's memoir, which details political decision-making during the 2020 border tensions with China. These excerpts were previously reported in December 2023 and quoted by a magazine over the weekend.
BJP MPs have objected to Gandhi's references to the memoir, arguing that he is quoting from a book that has not yet been published.
On Tuesday, eight Congress MPs were suspended for the remainder of the Budget Session after throwing papers at the chair in protest against Tenneti's call for other members to speak before Gandhi finished.
When Gandhi first attempted to quote from the memoir, he was interrupted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah, who accused him of misleading the House.
Details from Naravane's Memoir
In his memoir, *Four Stars of Destiny*, Naravane recounts seeking 'clear direction' from India's political and military leadership regarding the Army's response to Chinese tanks advancing towards Rechin La in eastern Ladakh on August 31, 2020.
He noted that after initially requesting orders, he was informed by Singh that he had spoken with Modi, and the military was to act as it saw fit, implying that the decision was entirely military and placed the responsibility on him.
This incident occurred during heightened border tensions between India and China.
The memoir is scheduled for publication in April 2024 but has yet to be released, pending approval from the Union government, which has not commented on its contents.
Government's Stance on the Memoir
On Monday, the defence minister stated in Parliament that the memoir would have been published if its contents were accurate, suggesting that Naravane could pursue legal action if he believes his memoir is unjustly withheld.