NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has registered a case in connection with the alleged leak or breach of the unpublished, yet-to-be-approved book “Four Stars of Destiny” by former Army Chief M.M. Naravane. The police took cognizance of information circulating on various social media platforms and online news forums.
The Special Cell unit of Delhi Police will investigate the case.
According to the officials, the Delhi Police took cognizance of information found on various online social media platforms and news forums which claimed that a pre-print copy of the book 'Four Stars of Destiny' is being circulated.
It was also reported that the necessary clearance for publication of this book is yet to be received from the relevant authorities.
“Upon verification, it was found that a PDF copy of a type-set book with the same title, and apparently prepared by M/s Penguin Random House India Pvt. Limited, is available on certain websites and, also, some online marketing platforms have displayed the finished book cover as if it is available for purchase.
“In order to carry out a thorough investigation into this purported leak/breach of a yet to be approved publication, a case has been registered with the Special Cell and investigation is being taken up,” the police said.
The FIR comes days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi publicly brandished a physical copy of the unpublished book on Parliament premises, escalating a controversy that has repeatedly disrupted proceedings in the Lok Sabha.
Gandhi has been seeking since February 2 to cite excerpts from Four Stars of Destiny, the memoir of former Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane, to bolster his claim that the Modi government mishandled the 2020 border standoff with China. He has argued that he only intended to quote from a magazine article that carried excerpts from the book, but was stopped after the Speaker and the ruling BJP-led NDA cited parliamentary rules barring references to unpublished material.
Last Wednesday, amid the third straight day of disruptions, Gandhi brought a printed version of the book, still pending clearance from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to the Parliament complex and flashed it before television cameras. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh later told the Lok Sabha, “I am confident this book has never been published.”
Responding, Gandhi said, “See, it exists, the book the government says does not,” and in a video posted on X claimed he would personally hand the book to Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he attended the House. He also alleged that the book records how General Naravane was left without clear political direction when he alerted the leadership, including the Defence Minister and NSA Ajit Doval, about Chinese troop movements during the standoff.
“Naravane ji has clearly said in this book that he felt alone and abandoned by the entire establishment,” Gandhi claimed, adding that this was the “truth” he was being prevented from raising in Parliament.
The government has rejected the allegations. Rajnath Singh and other BJP leaders argued that quoting from an unpublished book violates parliamentary rules, undermines national interest, and could harm national security. The Defence Minister also questioned why the author had not approached the courts if the facts cited were accurate.
While Gandhi displayed a printed copy, Four Stars of Destiny has never been made available for public purchase. Though Penguin Random House had announced an April 2024 release and opened pre-orders in late 2023, listings on Amazon and Flipkart currently state that the book is unavailable.
General Naravane, who served as Army chief from December 2019 to April 2022, has previously said the manuscript has been under MoD review for over a year and that granting clearance is beyond his control. The book reportedly touches on sensitive subjects including the Galwan clash, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed, and the Agnipath scheme.
Meanwhile, a PDF version of the book has begun circulating on messaging platforms and websites, prompting Delhi Police to register an FIR and hand the investigation to the Special Cell.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi on Monday repeated the allegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi skipped the Lok Sabha reply to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address because he was “scared” of questions related to the book.
Addressing reporters, the Leader of Opposition rejected claims that there was any threat to the Prime Minister from Opposition MPs last week and dared the government to “file an FIR” against anyone who had allegedly issued such a threat.
“We are very disturbed by this idea being floated that MPs were going to threaten the Prime Minister. There is no question of that. The fact is very clear, the Prime Minister was scared to come to the House, not because of members, but because of what I was saying,” Gandhi said.
He said Modi was avoiding Parliament because he could not “face the truth” and was unwilling to engage in a debate, particularly on the Naravane book issue and the Budget. “He should have the courage to come. If anyone has said they will attack the PM, file an FIR and arrest that person. Why are you not doing that?” Gandhi asked.
Gandhi further claimed the government was reluctant to allow a full discussion on the Budget because of concerns over a recent US deal and its impact on farmers. “The government is scared of having a debate. The PM did not come to the House because he was scared of being handed Naravane’s book as a first step,” he said.
Referring to repeated disruptions in the House, Gandhi alleged that the government deliberately stalled proceedings to prevent him from raising the issue. “First, they said I cannot quote a book. Then I said I am quoting a magazine. They said I cannot quote a magazine either. Then I said I will speak without quoting anything, they still did not let me speak,” he said.
He also accused Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of making a “false claim” that the book had not been published. “The book has been published and we have a copy of it,” Gandhi asserted.
The Congress leader said the Opposition would insist on a discussion not only on the Naravane book and the Budget but also on the suspension of MPs and allegations that Opposition members intended to attack the Prime Minister.
“They can say whatever they want, whenever they want. But the Opposition is not allowed to speak. That is unacceptable,” Gandhi said, adding that the Opposition remains keen for the discussion to take place, depending on the government’s response.
(With inputs from PTI)