New Delhi is buzzing with political tension as opposition leaders intensify their call for a parliamentary discussion on the controversial book by former Army Chief General MM Naravane. The uproar stems from Delhi Police filing an FIR over the alleged circulation of the yet-to-be-published manuscript, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from across the opposition spectrum.
RJD MP Manoj Jha minced no words, defending the police action as mere obedience to higher orders while pointing fingers at the Penguin publication house. ‘I saw a notification from Penguin House. That’s the value and prestige of a publishing house,’ he remarked, highlighting how a single page from the book had already appeared in a magazine with its PDF widely accessible online. Jha accused the government of feeling utterly insecure about the revelations within.
Samajwadi Party’s Rajiv Ray cut to the chase, questioning why the government is dodging a debate on specific ‘four lines’ in the book that it refuses even to acknowledge. ‘The issue isn’t who printed or sold it; it’s what those lines contain that has the government running scared,’ Ray asserted, urging the ruling dispensation to face the Parliament if it claims there’s nothing to hide.
Congress MP Mallu Ravi alleged direct BJP involvement in pushing the police to register the FIR, terming it a deliberate ploy to sensationalize the matter. Meanwhile, Congress leader Karti Chidambaram offered a nuanced view on publishing norms, explaining how manuscripts are routinely shared for reviews, blurbs, and journalistic feedback long before official release. ‘In today’s digital age, even a social media post counts as publication,’ he noted, slamming the action as another misuse of agencies by the current regime.
The opposition’s chorus grows louder, with Congress MP JB Mather emphasizing the resilience of women MPs against any intimidation tactics from the treasury benches. As Parliament sessions heat up, this standoff over General Naravane’s book threatens to dominate proceedings, exposing deep fault lines in India’s political landscape. Will the government relent and allow the debate, or will it continue to stonewall? The nation watches closely.