Naravane Memoir Controversy Deepens as Publisher Denies Public Release of ‘Four Stars of Destiny’

Former Army Chief General M M Naravane has responded to the growing controversy surrounding his memoir Four Stars of Destiny by sharing an official clarification from Penguin Random House India.

The publisher stated unequivocally that the book has not been released in any format and that no printed or digital copies have been circulated, sold, or made accessible to the public.

Posting the publisher’s note on social media, General Naravane briefly remarked that this was the current status of the book.

His response followed remarks made earlier in the day by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who had reignited the issue by referring to the memoir in Parliament last week.

Gandhi had attempted to quote from what he claimed were excerpts of the book and later displayed what he described as a copy.

Speaking to reporters, Gandhi questioned the contradiction between the publisher’s statement and what he said were earlier social media posts attributed to General Naravane announcing the book’s availability.

According to Gandhi, such posts suggested the memoir was accessible online, including on commercial platforms, creating confusion over whether the book had indeed been released.

He argued that the situation presented two conflicting claims — one from the publisher asserting that the book had not been published, and another implied by what he described as past posts by General Naravane promoting the memoir.

Gandhi said that both versions could not be correct and called for clarity on who was stating the truth.

Emphasising his trust in the former Army Chief, Gandhi said he found it difficult to believe that General Naravane would mislead the public.

He suggested that the memoir contained observations uncomfortable for the Government of India and the Prime Minister, and implied that this could be the reason behind the confusion surrounding its publication status.

Earlier, Penguin Random House India had issued a formal statement asserting that it holds exclusive publishing rights to Four Stars of Destiny, authored by General Manoj Mukund Naravane, and reiterating that the book has not been released in any form so far.

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