NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s reference to an unpublished memoir of a former Army Chief has sparked a full-fledged ‘book-versus-books’ tussle between Congress and the BJP.
The confrontation erupted when Rahul Gandhi waved the unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane, Four Stars of Destiny, while criti Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government.
Rahul raised concerns over India–China relations, citing past tensions along the eastern Ladakh border and questioned why he was “being stopped” from referring to an article quoting the unpublished 'memoir'.
The BJP escalated the confrontation by countering with a vast collection of books—numbering more than 150—which it claims contain controversial and damaging material about the Congress and its leadership, stretching from the Nehru era to the present day.
According to BJP sources, the party’s think tanks and research cells were mobilised immediately to identify, archive and curate books and journals that have, at various points in history, either criticised or exposed alleged controversies involving senior Congress leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and their political successors.
BJP Lok Sabha MP Dr Nishikant Dubey accused Rahul Gandhi of behaving like an “urban Naxal”. The party is learnt to have encouraged its leaders to dig out as much material as possible from published sources and circulate it widely.
“So far, we have compiled sets of over 150 books and journals that severely expose Congress leaders from the Nehru era to the present,” said a senior BJP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Dr Dubey has announced plans to establish a dedicated library documenting what he terms the misdeeds of the Nehru-Gandhi family. Making a public appeal for contributions, he said, “I have decided to create a library on the misdeeds of the Nehru-Gandhi family, the corruption perpetrated by them, the damage inflicted on the country due to their policies, and the harm caused to the nation by their personal activities.”
He added that the proposed library would serve as a valuable resource for students and future generations engaged in research. Among the books showcased by BJP leaders is These Lethal, Inexorable Laws by Arun Shourie, a sharp critique of Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure that highlights alleged governance failures, ethical lapses and the handling of the Bofors scandal.
Other works cited include Article 370: Undoing the Unjust – A New Future for J&K, The Accidental Prime Minister by Sanjaya Baru, Durbar by Tavleen Singh, My Times: An Autobiography by J.B. Kripalani, and B.N. Mullik’s My Years with Nehru: The Chinese Betrayal and My Years with Nehru: Kashmir.
The list also includes The Insider by former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, Pilgrimage to Freedom by K.M. Munshi, A Secular Agenda by Arun Shourie, Letters for a Nation by Jawaharlal Nehru, The Unseen Indira Gandhi by Dr K.P. Mathur, Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire by Alex von Tunzelmann, The Red Sari by Javier Moro, Reminiscences of the Nehru Age by M.O. Mathai, and The Emergency by Coomi Kapoor.
The BJP has even cited books authored by Congress leaders themselves, including Shashi Tharoor’s The Great Indian Novel, Beyond the Lines by Kuldip Nayar, India’s First Dictatorship by Christophe Jaffrelot and Pratinav Anil, Self-Deception: India’s China Policies by Arun Shourie, Amritsar: Mrs Gandhi’s Last Battle by Mark Tully and Satish Jacob, Nehru’s 97 Major Blunders by Rajnikant Puranik, and Indira Gandhi: Tryst with Power by Nayantara Sahgal.
Other titles include Nehru: A Political Biography by Michael Brecher, which notes that centralised leadership under Nehru fostered a culture where the Congress overshadowed institutions, and The Red Sari, which portrays the Congress’s evolution from democratic movement to dynastic power centre.
Novels such as Edwina and Nehru have also been drawn into the political narrative. The BJP has additionally referenced India, China and the Northern Frontiers by Ram Manohar Lohia, which criticises the Nehru government’s handling of the military and former President Pranab Mukherjee’s memoir The Presidential Years: 2012–2017 which raise a point on leadership in Congress.
The party has highlighted The Scam: Who Won, Who Lost, Who Got Away, along with works such as Himalayan Blunder, India’s China War, and My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir by Jagmohan.
