Ex-Army Chief MM Naravane Breaks Silence on Book, Posts on X - 'This Is the Status'

New Delhi: Former Chief of Armed Staff (CoAS) General MM Naravane on Tuesday broke his silence on the controversy over his unpublished book 'Four Stars of Destiny', days after Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi showed a copy of his book, raising questions how was he able to get one when the book is yet to be published. As the row continued to roll, the former Army Chief took to X and shared Penguin India -- the publishing house -- statement saying, "this is the status of the book."News agency PTI posted a screenshot of Naravane's post on its X page, quoting the former army chief's statement on the status of his book. The post reads, "Former Army Chief, Manoj Naravane (@ManojNaravane) posts, 'This is the status of the book.'"

On his reported X page, Naravane reposted Penguin India’s statement from yesterday, in which the publishing house had said that they hold the sole rights to the former army chief's book while making it clear that the book was yet to be published.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DubmLOXSvv4

Addressing its concern on the matter, Penguin Random House India on Monday wrote, "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. 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."Adding further, the publishing house 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. Penguin Random House India shall be exercising remedies available in law against the illegal and unauthorised dissemination of the book. This statement is being issued to place the publisher's position on record."

Pre-Order Does Not Mean Book is Published, Says Penguin India

Amid the controversy over former army chief "unpublished" book, publisher Penguin Random House India (PRHI) in another statement on Tuesday said an announcement about a book or its availability for pre-order should not be interpreted as publication.PRHI issued a clarification after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cited a 2023 social media post by Naravane informing people that the memoir in question, "Four Stars of Destiny", is "available now".In its statement under the heading "A quick guide to how book publishing works at Penguin Random House India", the publisher said, "An announced book, a book available for pre-order, and a published book are not the same thing."It further explained in stipulated points that when a book is announced, it only indicates that the publisher has shared plans to publish it in the future and that the title is not yet available for sale.Similarly, listing a book for pre-order is a standard publishing practice that allows readers and retailers to place advance orders before release, it said, adding that such listings do not mean the book has been "published or available".The publisher also said that a scheduled publication date simply indicates a planned release timeline and does not mean the book is already available in the market."A book is published only when it is available at retail channels for purchase," the statement said, adding that the publishing house remains committed to clarity and transparency in its publishing processes.With inputs from PTI