A lot of drama and chaos has been generated in Parliament and in the public discourse, thanks to Congress scion Rahul Gandhi’s ‘expose’ using the memoir of former Army chief MM Naravane.

When Rahul Gandhi read pages from a The Caravan report, people wondered whether the book was indeed in circulation. Turns out it was never available. Here’s the proof.

It is true that the book was ready to be sold online – on platforms like Amazon and the publishers even started booking pre-orders much before the book was even published, or should we say – got the green signal for publication?

Here is MM Naravane’s tweet asking his followers to check the link to make their pre-order purchase.

Hello friends. My book is available now. Just follow the link. Happy reading. Jai Hind pic.twitter.com/VCiLiZOWIi

— Manoj Naravane (@ManojNaravane) December 15, 2023

This was in December 2023. Several of them placed their order and showed their excitement for the book’s publication.

I just pre-ordered it. Can’t wait to read. pic.twitter.com/12skwhlx4D

— Poonam Pandey (@pandeypoonam20) December 15, 2023

Cut to 2026. Now that the book is back in the news, several Congress-supporting handles and media started sharing Naravane’s 2023 post claiming the book was indeed published.

If the book never went to print, then….??? https://t.co/ljd15ABn34

— Sanket Upadhyay (@sanket) February 10, 2026

ठीक है सर, अभी तक आई नहीं। आप तो सेनाध्यक्ष रहे हैं। कम से कम आपको एक प्रेस कांफ्रेंस करनी चाहिए। बताना चाहिए कि क्या इस देश में एक सेनाध्यक्ष अपनी किताब नहीं छपवा सकते हैं? आपकी चुप्पी से भारतीय सेना से जुड़े करोड़ों लोगों का मनोबल कमज़ोर हो रहा है कि उनके सेनाध्यक्ष चुप हैं।… https://t.co/FGdlksZfUz

— ravish kumar (@ravish_journo) February 10, 2026

Hello @PenguinIndia The book existed, was published, and was available. Deleting a tweet won’t rewrite history. https://t.co/I768sXl8qq

— Vijay Vasanth (@iamvijayvasanth) February 10, 2026

Replying to a handle who had posted that she had placed the pre-order back in 2023, a netizen wrote whether she got the book. She replied in the negative and that Amazon had refunded the amount as a result of order cancellation.

This is in sync with the statements available in media from the government that the book is under review and was never published.

As per an India Today report, serious questions arose over how the memoir, a defence-related manuscript still under government review, was converted into printed book form and briefly reached bookstores despite the publisher maintaining that it was never published.

The India Today report says it had verified that bound copies had arrived at select Delhi bookstores before being recalled, citing a bookstore staffer who stated that hundreds of pre-orders had been taken but the books were returned to the publisher after controversy erupted. The report further stated that they spoke to an individual outside the publishing industry who had seen physical copies ready for sale.

While retired armed forces officers are not legally bound by prior-publication clearance rules applicable to serving personnel under the Army Act and Army Rules, the report noted that the Official Secrets Act continues to apply for life, criminalising disclosure of classified information. In practice, many retired officers and publishers voluntarily submit manuscripts to the Ministry of Defence or Service Headquarters for vetting, particularly when operational matters are discussed. Lt Gen KJS Dhillon (Retd) was quoted as saying that manuscripts dealing with operational issues are typically reviewed through a multi-tier Army Headquarters process that may approve, edit, or withhold clearance.

India Today Digital said Naravane himself had earlier indicated that his manuscript remained under Defence Ministry review, raising questions over whether Penguin Random House India had printed copies before final approval or whether some form of clearance had been granted and later withdrawn. The report also cited sources claiming Rahul Gandhi may have sourced a copy from the author or publisher, though it was not meant for circulation.

With Penguin insisting no copies were published, the emergence of bound hardcovers, including one seen in Parliament (which had several blank pages), had deepened the mystery, prompting the Delhi Police Special Cell to open a probe into the “purported leak or breach of a yet-to-be-approved” publication and to investigate how both physical and digital copies entered circulation.

The Ex-Army chief has also quote posted the publishing house’s statement putting a full stop to Rahul Gandhi’s propaganda.

This is the status of the book. https://t.co/atLtwhJvl0

— Manoj Naravane (@ManojNaravane) February 10, 2026

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The post Rahul Gandhi ‘Expose’ Fails Brilliantly, Confuses Pre-Ordering With Publishing; Ex-Army Chief Naravane Puts Full Stop To His False Propaganda appeared first on The Commune.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s reliance on theatrical “props” to mount political attacks has once again landed him in controversy, with fresh questions emerging over the authenticity of the copy of former Army Chief General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir ‘Four Stars of Destiny’ that he dramatically waved in Parliament.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rahul Gandhi (@rahulgandhi)

He also brought the ‘hardcopy’ of the book outside Parliament and started waving it as if it were earth-shattering proof.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rahul Gandhi (@rahulgandhi)

But what has caught the attention of the public is the flaw in his stunt – the book had several blank pages!

Netizens started zooming in on the video he had shared and realised that the book was by and large blank. That he read out the passages from the middle of the book is a different issue because he could have just inserted some printed pages. But do watch this and notice the blanks.

Did he really come to Parliament with a blank book?

The first 4-5 pages he skims through have absolutely no text, they are totally blank

Just a hunch, take a close look pic.twitter.com/cmJdFSfLtZ

— Muji Dakait مجی ڈکیت (@mujifren) February 9, 2026

The book and his brain both are empty as always. thought that he’d get away from the cameras pic.twitter.com/kRVQWzmYje

— Politics Pe Charcha (@politicscharcha) February 10, 2026

Not The First Time

“Red Constitution” 

In November 2024, the Maharashtra BJP had punctured Rahul Gandhi’s high-decibel rallies where he brandished pocket-sized red booklets labelled “Constitution of India,” presenting them as symbols of the BJP’s alleged assault on constitutional values.

Videos released by BJP leaders later showed the interiors of several such booklets to be largely blank, with at best a printed preamble – more notebook than Constitution. Senior BJP leaders, including Devendra Fadnavis, called it an insult to Dr. BR Ambedkar, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi mocked the stunt, remarking that the pages were blank because Rahul “never reads it.”

Congress dismissed the expose as propaganda, but the episode cemented Rahul’s reputation for headline-grabbing optics over documentary credibility.

Parliament Disruption Over MM Naravane Memoir

Fast forward to the Budget Session in February 2026, Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from General Naravane’s yet-to-be-released memoir, alleging it contained material critical of the Modi government’s handling of the 2020 Galwan crisis.

Speaker Om Birla and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh blocked the attempt, citing parliamentary rules prohibiting references to unpublished material, particularly content linked to national security that remains subject to Ministry of Defence clearance.

The standoff triggered repeated disruptions in the Lok Sabha.

Undeterred, Rahul escalated the spectacle by displaying what he claimed was a physical copy of Four Stars of Destiny before cameras outside Parliament, daring the Prime Minister to debate its contents publicly.

However, BJP MPs and political observers quickly raised doubts about the authenticity of the book he brandished.

No independent authentication of the book’s contents has been publicly established, but the optics alone have intensified scrutiny.

Additionally, the publisher Penguin Random House also came out with a statement saying that no copies were ever published and legal action would be taken against those who are indulging in “unauthorised dissemination of the book.”

Statement from the publisher. pic.twitter.com/pksacg3EeT

— Penguin India (@PenguinIndia) February 9, 2026

The Naravane memoir episode mirrors Rahul Gandhi’s earlier “blank Constitution” spectacle, a pattern of symbolic props deployed for political messaging but collapsing under factual scrutiny.

With Delhi Police now probing the alleged leak and circulation of Naravane’s unpublished manuscript, the stakes have escalated beyond parliamentary theatrics into legal and national security territory. As the row deepens, the credibility of Congress scion Rahul Gandhi only seems to be crumbling at every instant.

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The post Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Blank Page’ Prop Politics Returns: From Fake Constitution Stunt To Naravane Book Farce appeared first on The Commune.

Just a few days ago, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi flashed a ‘hardcover copy’ of the unpublished memoir ‘Four Stars of Destiny’ of former Indian Army chief MM Naravane. On Monday, 9 February 2026, the book’s publisher Penguin Random House India issued a clarification.

The publisher said it holds the sole publishing rights to the book and that it has not yet been released. It stated that no copies, print or digital, have been published, distributed, sold, or otherwise made available to the public.

In an official statement, Penguin Random House India said, “In light of recent public discourse and media reporting, Penguin Random House India would like to clarify that we hold the sole publishing rights for the book Four Stars of Destiny, a memoir by General Manoj Mukund Naravane, former Chief of the Indian Army.”

The publisher added, “We wish to make it clear that the book has not gone into publication. No copies of the book – in print or digital form – have been published, distributed, sold, or otherwise made available to the public by Penguin Random House India.”

Warning against unauthorised circulation, the statement said, “Any copies of the book currently in circulation, in whole or in part, whether in print, digital, PDF, or any other format, online or offline, on any platform, constitutes an infringement of PRHI’s copyright and must immediately be ceased.”

The company further said it would pursue legal remedies against violations. “Penguin Random House India shall be exercising remedies available in law against the illegal and unauthorised dissemination of the book,” it said, adding, “This statement is being issued to place the publisher’s position on record.”

Statement from the publisher. pic.twitter.com/pksacg3EeT

— Penguin India (@PenguinIndia) February 9, 2026

Political controversy

A political row broke out after Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from what he described as a “pre-print” version of the memoir during his speech in the Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address last week.

Gandhi sought to read an excerpt relating to the 2017 Doklam stand-off with China but was unable to proceed amid repeated interruptions by Union ministers, including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh. Treasury bench members strongly objected to his remarks.

Following multiple adjournments over the issue, the Lok Sabha later adopted the Motion of Thanks by voice vote amid sloganeering by Opposition members.

Delhi Police register FIR

Meanwhile, Delhi Police said it had taken cognisance of information circulating on social media platforms and news forums claiming that a pre-print copy of Four Stars of Destiny was being shared.

According to ANI, the Special Cell has registered an FIR regarding the circulation of the unpublished book online. The case relates to a “purported leak/breach of a yet to be approved publication.”

Police officials said an investigation has been initiated into claims about the availability and dissemination of the alleged pre-print copy.

Source: Mint

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The post ‘No Copies Published’, Says Publisher Of MM Naravane Book That Rahul Gandhi ‘Quoted’ From; Warns Of Legal Action Over Circulation appeared first on The Commune.