Rahul Gandhi cites ex-Army chief’s memoir, Rajnath Singh objects, fiery showdown rocks Lok Sabha

The lok Sabha witnessed intense scenes on Monday shortly after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi rose to speak during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament. Tensions flared when the congress leader attempted to read excerpts from an unpublished memoir authored by former Army Chief General Manoj Naravane while participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.

As Gandhi began referring to the contents of the book, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh intervened, questioning whether the memoir had been officially released. Singh firmly objected to the reference, stating that it was against parliamentary norms to quote from an unpublished work.

“He should first clarify whether the book he is quoting from has been published. The book has not been released. Therefore, he cannot claim to quote from it,” Rajnath Singh said. Emphasising his point, the Defence Minister added, “I can say with full responsibility that the book has not been published.”

Home Minister Amit Shah soon joined the objection, reinforcing the government’s stance. “When the book has not even been published, how can he quote from it in the House?” Shah asked, backing Rajnath Singh’s argument.

Shah further urged Rahul Gandhi to continue his speech without referencing the book. “Newspaper clippings, books, or any such material that is not authenticated cannot be cited on the floor of the House,” the Home Minister asserted.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla intervened to restore order and cited parliamentary conventions to support the objections raised by the Treasury benches. He noted that established rules do not permit members to quote from unpublished material during proceedings.

Despite the repeated objections, Rahul Gandhi maintained that the excerpts he was referring to were “100 per cent genuine” and had already appeared in The Caravan magazine. As opposition members pressed the Speaker to allow him to continue, Gandhi pointed out that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh himself was mentioned in the excerpts.

“They can respond after I finish,” Gandhi said, as Congress MPs rallied behind him. Congress MP KC Venugopal also urged the Chair to allow the Leader of the Opposition to complete his argument, adding that the government could reply later.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey reiterated that parliamentary rules strictly prohibit quoting from books, particularly unpublished ones. Speaker Om Birla reinforced this position, stating that “even if a book is published, quoting from material not directly related to House proceedings is not permissible.”

Backing Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav argued that the Leader of the Opposition should be allowed to speak freely, especially on sensitive issues. He stressed that matters related to china and national security require serious discussion and should not be curtailed through procedural objections.

The exchange soon spiralled into chaos, with MPs from the Treasury benches insisting on strict adherence to parliamentary norms, while opposition members accused the government of stifling debate. Slogans were raised, and repeated interruptions brought the House to a standstill.

After nearly 45 minutes of sustained confrontation and disorder, the Lok Sabha was adjourned until 3 pm. During the adjournment, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah were seen meeting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, as efforts were made behind the scenes to resolve the impasse.