New Delhi: General Manoj Mukund Naravane (Retd), has finally broken his silence on the controversy that raged in Parliament over his unpublished memoir ‘Four Stars of Destiny’.
The former Chief of Army Staff spoke exclusively to Republic TV, during which he firmly countered Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party’s theories on Galwan.
The Budget Session of Parliament witnessed disruptions after Rahul insisted on citing from the unpublished memoir, raking up the 2020 standoff with China and alleging that the former Army Chief was left without political backing at a critical moment.
Gen Naravane responded to questions about his previous remarks that not an inch of Indian land had been captured by China. When asked if he still holds that position, he said people should ask the reverse question to China.
“I think you should ask a reverse question to the Chinese, that have they occupied any Indian land? And answer to that question, I think, will satisfy all those who have any doubts on this matter,” he said.
This effectively counters both Rahul and the Congress, who have been accusing the Government of ceding land to China.
The general also dismissed the charge that he was given vague instructions during the Galwan crisis and “left alone”. When asked whether the Prime Minister’s stated instruction – “jo uchit samjhe wo karo,” meant he was given a free hand or was left alone, Naravane cautioned against relying on anonymous sources.
“See, once again, we cannot take cognisance of articles which are unpublished, quoting unnamed sources, what is right, what is wrong. So let us let it be for the time being at that. And as and when things get clearer, we can discuss these issues more in depth,” he said.
“Once again, anybody can say anything. I’m not obliged to comment on anything, which is not actually my concern,” Gen Naravane added.
He said that the country should stop living in the past when asked whether he was being misquoted.
“I think we should not live in the past. We should look ahead, go in the future. I have written a new book, Murder Mystery. I’m writing the sequel to that. So let us move on. And as I said, not dwell in the past.”
Penguin Random House India – which is to publish the memoir after due clearance – had earlier posted a statement clarifying that the book has not gone into publication. It stated that no copies, print or digital, had been released, sold, disseminated, or made accessible to the general public.
“We wish to make it clear that the book has not gone into publication. No copies of the book – in print or digital form – have been published, distributed, sold, or otherwise made available to the public by Penguin Random House India,” the publisher states.
“Any copies of the book currently in circulation, in whole or in part, whether in print, digital, PDF, or any other format, online or offline, on any platform, constitutes an infringement of PRHI’s copyright and must immediately be ceased. Penguin Random House India shall be exercising remedies available in law against the illegal and unauthorised dissemination of the book,” it further added.
