Unapproved & Unseen: How Did Rahul Gandhi Get a Hard Copy of Naravane's Book That Was Never Published?

In 2026, a hardcover copy of India's former Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General MM Naravane's memoir, 'Four Stars of Destiny', was unexpectedly seen in Parliament, held by Rahul Gandhi. The sight of the book, which was supposed to be unpublished due to a lack of clearance from the Ministry of Defence, raised questions about how it reached Gandhi. Previously, excerpts had been reported by PTI, but the physical book was not supposed to exist, according to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.In 2024, 'Four Stars of Destiny' was set for a release, with bookstores taking pre-orders and readers pre-booking it online. However, the launch was halted. The publisher of the book is Penguin Random House India.As the controversy raged, Penguin Random House India said

no copies of the book - in print or digital form - have been published, distributed, sold, or otherwise made available to the public."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. We wish to make it clear that the book has not gone into publication..." it clarified.Then how did a book which "does not exist" reach Rahul Gandhi?

Did the book ever get clearance?

A defence-related manuscript, one written by serving or retired personnel dealing with sensitive operational matters, intelligence, or national security, needs clearance from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to ensure no classified information is revealed. Between 2020 and 2024, the Defence Ministry has cleared 35 books, with 'Four Stars of Destiny' remaining the only manuscript still pending, according to a report in The Indian Express. Then, did Naravane's manuscript get converted into a book without the requisite approvals?

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Portions of the memoir had already entered the public domain in 2023, when news agency PTI quoted select excerpts from the manuscript. The Caravan, whose report Rahul Gandhi tried to cite in the Lok Sabha amid heavy opposition by the BJP, accessed the manuscript of the book,not a printed or bound copy.In an interview with The Wire, journalist Sushant Singh, who authored the article, said he had written well in advance to the Ministry of Defence, former Army chief General MM Naravane, and the publisher Penguin, seeking responses before publication. None of them replied to his emails.Meanwhile, the Delhi Police on Monday initiated an investigation by its Special Cell into the "purported leak or breach of a yet-to-be-approved" copy of Gen Naravane's memoir."The Delhi Police has taken cognisance of information circulating on social media platforms and online news forums claiming that a pre-print copy of a book titled Four Stars of Destiny is being circulated without mandatory clearance from competent authorities," it said.