Former Army Chief General MM Naravane (Retd) has spoken out following the controversy surrounding his unpublished memoir Four Stars of Destiny.

In separate interviews with news channels, he described it as “totally unfair to drag me and the armed forces into politics” by using an unpublished book to score points. He firmly rejected claims that he had been abandoned by the government during the 2020 LAC standoff with China, stressing that he had full backing at the time.

Naravane addressed the incident in Parliament when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi brandished a copy of his unpublished memoir to criticise the Modi government.

He clarified that he had the authority to open fire on Chinese soldiers if the situation demanded it, and that the government had given him complete support.

He explained that while the person at the helm is always alone, whether a CEO or a national leader, this does not mean abandonment, as the entire country and the armed forces stand behind them.

The controversy arose after Rahul Gandhi cited extracts from the unpublished book, which mentioned that Prime Minister Modi, through the defence minister, had told Naravane, “jo uchit samjho wo karo” (do what you think is right), during a tense faceoff with Chinese soldiers at Rechin La pass. Naravane emphasised that there was nothing in the book that warranted such a fuss, and that the matter had been unnecessarily politicised.

In addition to addressing the row, Naravane has released a new book titled The Curious and the Classified: Unearthing Military Myths and Mysteries.

According to his publisher Rupa Publications, the work “pulls aside the still-drawn curtains on some of the most riveting and compelling arcana that colour the legends and lore of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.” This new publication shifts focus from controversy to exploring the fascinating myths and mysteries of India’s armed forces.

Agencies