Drama In Lok Sabha As Govt, Rahul Gandhi Square Off Over China Border, Ex-Army Chief's Memoir

Last Updated:February 02, 2026, 14:27 IST

Rajnath Singh countered Rahul Gandhi, saying he cannot quote from the "unpublished" book and asked him to authenticate it before the House.

News18

The Lok Sabha on Monday witnessed fiery scenes as Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh countered Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over the purported memoir of former Army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane on the Doklam stand-off.

During his reply to the motion of thanks on the President’s address in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi began his speech by quoting a magazine report that purportedly published excerpts from Naravane’s memoir, said to be from an “unpublished" book.

Rajnath Singh immediately stood up and countered the LoP, saying he cannot quote from an “unpublished" book and asked him to authenticate it before the House.

“He should not be allowed to speak on this… I want the LoP, Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi), to present before the House the book he is quoting from, because the book he is referring to has not been published," Singh said.

Amit Shah also interjected Gandhi and sought to know whether the book had been published. “How do you know all this information if this book has not been published?" he asked.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav came to Rahul Gandhi’s defence, saying the issue was extremely sensitive.

“Lohiya, Netaji and George Fernandes have all warned us about China. The matter relating to China is very sensitive. The LoP, Lok Sabha, should be allowed to speak," he said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also intervened, urging Gandhi to follow the Speaker’s ruling.

As the ruckus continued, Speaker Om Birla ruled that the Leader of Opposition should speak only on the President’s address and not quote from the “unpublished" memoir. Birla also read out the rules, saying that nothing from a book or newspaper that has no relevance to the discussion of the session can be read out.

“As Leader of the Opposition, you are making allegations in the House and not following the rules. This is not appropriate," he said.

In response, Rahul Gandhi said, “You please tell me what I should speak, Speaker sir."

Om Birla replied, “I am not your advisor, but as the Speaker, it is my duty to ensure that the House functions as per the rules and discussion is limited to the subject listed."

The Speaker told Rahul Gandhi not to insult the chair or go against its ruling.

“You have no right to insult the decision of the chair… If you have decided not to speak, then it’s ok," Birla said.

The Speaker then announced that the next speaker would be Akhilesh Yadav, who would speak on the President’s address. The Speaker later adjourned the House till 3 PM amid the ruckus.

In his defence, Rahul Gandhi said that BJP MP Tejasvi Surya labelled the entire opposition and the Congress party “anti-national" in his speech and he just want the set the record straight in the House.

" The Defence Minister, Home Minister and the Prime Minister raise questions on our party, party leaders, and our nationalism. This article writes about the PM’s character…This is neither about China, nor the PM," the LoP said.

Shah responded to Rahul Gandhi and said, “Tejasvi Surya (BJP MP) in his speech has not raised any questions on the Opposition’s character or their patriotism…"

What Is Doklam Stand-off?

In 2017, a major military stand-off took place between the Indian Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) after Chinese troops attempted to build a road on the Doklam plateau.

Following Bhutan’s protest against the construction, Indian soldiers moved in to dissuade Chinese personnel from altering the status quo, leading to a face-off between troops from both sides deployed in close proximity.

The confrontation continued for 73 days before India and China announced the disengagement of border personnel from the site.

News politics Drama In Lok Sabha As Govt, Rahul Gandhi Square Off Over Doklam, Ex-Army Chief's Unpublished Memoir

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