Delhi Police issues notice to Penguin Random House over Gen Naravane’s unpublished memoir
Gen Naravane book controversy: The notice has instructed Penguin to join the inquiry and clarify the circumstances under which the manuscript became available before its formal launch.
- Feb 11, 2026,
- Updated Feb 11, 2026 11:50 AM IST
Delhi Police has issued a notice to Penguin Random House India, the publisher of former Army Chief General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir, following a controversy over the alleged leak of its contents before the official release. This action comes after questions were raised about how Congress leader Rahul Gandhi obtained a copy of the book, intensifying the political dispute.
The publisher has been asked to respond to several questions related to the unpublished work and to cooperate with the investigation. A case concerning criminal conspiracy over the manuscript’s circulation has been registered. According to officials, the notice has instructed Penguin to join the inquiry and clarify the circumstances under which the manuscript became available before its formal launch.
Delhi Police registered an FIR under sections related to criminal conspiracy after news surfaced that unauthorised digital and physical copies were in circulation. The controversy centres on the memoir, ‘Four Stars of Destiny’, after Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from it in the Lok Sabha while criticising the government’s handling of the 2020 India-China border standoff.
As Gandhi began quoting alleged excerpts, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) protested strongly. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh argued that referencing an unpublished book in Parliament was not permissible. Speaker Om Birla ruled that Gandhi could not cite the memoir, classifying it as "unpublished literature" with unauthenticated contents.
In response, Gandhi showed a hardbound copy of the book in Parliament, challenging claims that the memoir "doesn’t exist”. He also expressed his intention to gift a copy to the Prime Minister.
The publisher clarified that the book remains unreleased and is pending clearance from the Ministry of Defence. Penguin warned that any circulating PDFs or physical copies would be copyright violations. General Naravane confirmed that the book has not yet been officially released.
However, Gandhi cited a 2023 tweet by General Naravane stating, "My book is available now”, and noted that the title was listed for pre-order on Amazon. Gandhi claimed that either the General or the publisher was being untruthful and said he "chooses to believe the Army Chief”. Gandhi referred to reported claims in the book about the 2020 border standoff, stating that the political leadership told Naravane, "Jo uchit samjho woh karo" (Do whatever you think is appropriate).
The BJP demanded an apology from Gandhi, alleging he presented "fiction" before Parliament. Penguin Random House India issued a second clarification, stating that the memoir is available only for pre-order and is not yet on sale.
Delhi Police has issued a notice to Penguin Random House India, the publisher of former Army Chief General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir, following a controversy over the alleged leak of its contents before the official release. This action comes after questions were raised about how Congress leader Rahul Gandhi obtained a copy of the book, intensifying the political dispute.
The publisher has been asked to respond to several questions related to the unpublished work and to cooperate with the investigation. A case concerning criminal conspiracy over the manuscript’s circulation has been registered. According to officials, the notice has instructed Penguin to join the inquiry and clarify the circumstances under which the manuscript became available before its formal launch.
Delhi Police registered an FIR under sections related to criminal conspiracy after news surfaced that unauthorised digital and physical copies were in circulation. The controversy centres on the memoir, ‘Four Stars of Destiny’, after Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from it in the Lok Sabha while criticising the government’s handling of the 2020 India-China border standoff.
As Gandhi began quoting alleged excerpts, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) protested strongly. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh argued that referencing an unpublished book in Parliament was not permissible. Speaker Om Birla ruled that Gandhi could not cite the memoir, classifying it as "unpublished literature" with unauthenticated contents.
In response, Gandhi showed a hardbound copy of the book in Parliament, challenging claims that the memoir "doesn’t exist”. He also expressed his intention to gift a copy to the Prime Minister.
The publisher clarified that the book remains unreleased and is pending clearance from the Ministry of Defence. Penguin warned that any circulating PDFs or physical copies would be copyright violations. General Naravane confirmed that the book has not yet been officially released.
However, Gandhi cited a 2023 tweet by General Naravane stating, "My book is available now”, and noted that the title was listed for pre-order on Amazon. Gandhi claimed that either the General or the publisher was being untruthful and said he "chooses to believe the Army Chief”. Gandhi referred to reported claims in the book about the 2020 border standoff, stating that the political leadership told Naravane, "Jo uchit samjho woh karo" (Do whatever you think is appropriate).
The BJP demanded an apology from Gandhi, alleging he presented "fiction" before Parliament. Penguin Random House India issued a second clarification, stating that the memoir is available only for pre-order and is not yet on sale.