Rahul Gandhi's claims on India-China conflict trigger uproar in Lok Sabha

Repeated references by Rahul Gandhi to reports on former Army chief M M Naravane's unpublished memoirs drew objections from the Speaker and ministers

Repeated references by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha to a news magazine article on former Army chief General M M Naravane’s unpublished memoirs, despite objections from Speaker Om Birla and Union ministers, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, led to two adjournments of the House’s afternoon session on Tuesday. With Gandhi remaining unrelenting, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day a little after 4 pm.

 

Both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday took up the discussion on the motion of thanks to the President’s Address. In the Lok Sabha, Gandhi began his speech by responding to charges made by the previous speaker, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tejasvi Surya, against the Congress on nationalism. Gandhi quoted from what he said was the “memoir” of former Army chief General Naravane in connection with the 2020 India-China border conflict.

 

 

As Gandhi referred to Naravane’s book and sought to read out the former Army chief’s account of his engagement with the country’s top leadership during the Ladakh clashes, Defence Minister Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and other BJP MPs objected. Singh argued that the book has not been published and that there was no “authentic source” for Gandhi’s claims. Gandhi contended that he was basing his comments on a news magazine’s article about the unpublished memoirs.

 

Lok Sabha Speaker Birla, citing the House’s rules of procedure and conduct of business, disallowed Gandhi from speaking on the specific subject. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House at the time. The uproar continued for nearly 50 minutes, with the Speaker maintaining that no book or newspaper clipping could be quoted on a matter not related to the proceedings of the House, and Gandhi insisting that the document was authenticated and that he had the right to quote from it. Singh questioned why Naravane had not moved court if the book was allegedly not being allowed to be published. The House was adjourned to reassemble at 3 pm.

 

When the Lok Sabha reconvened, Gandhi again raised the issue, prompting protests from the treasury benches. Rijiju said Gandhi should refrain from making statements that belittle the armed forces. Several Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, supported Gandhi. As the deadlock continued, Birla adjourned the House until 4 pm.

 

The House reconvened at 4 pm with BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, a member of the Lok Sabha’s panel of chairpersons, presiding over the proceedings in place of Birla. Gandhi insisted that he was raising a matter of national security. “It is uncomfortable for the defence minister and the prime minister, I understand. I consider national security the most important issue. If it was not uncomfortable, they would have let me speak, but the fact they are not allowing me to speak shows that they are uncomfortable,” Gandhi said. The chair adjourned the House for the day.

 

Addressing the media after exiting the House and inside the Parliament House complex, Rijiju said Gandhi had defied the Speaker’s ruling and wasted the Lok Sabha’s time. He added that Speaker Birla had ruled that only authenticated documents could be quoted in the House.

 

In his comments to the media, Gandhi said he was not being allowed to quote from Naravane’s unpublished book in the Lok Sabha because it indicts Prime Minister Modi and Defence Minister Singh for “letting down” the army during the 2020 conflict with China. He said the government was scared of a line that he wanted to quote from the former army chief's book and asserted that he would state it in the Lower House.

 

He alleged the former Army chief’s book is not being allowed to be published.

 

Later, BJP spokesperson Anil Baluni said Gandhi had undermined the dignity of Parliament and hurt the morale of Indian soldiers with what he described as false accusations made in the Lok Sabha.

 

(With PTI inputs)