The Lok Sabha was thrown into disorder on Monday after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi quoted passages from an unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane while speaking during the debate on the President’s address.
Rahul Gandhi read out what he said were excerpts from the book, which reportedly mention India’s border situation with China. He also displayed printed pages in the House. This immediately led to strong objections from the government.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah said the book has not been officially released, and therefore its contents cannot be quoted in Parliament. They argued that referring to unpublished material violates parliamentary rules.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla agreed with the government and ruled that members are not allowed to quote unverified or unpublished sources in the House. However, Rahul Gandhi insisted that the excerpts were genuine and had already appeared in a magazine report.
The disagreement triggered loud protests and repeated interruptions from both ruling and opposition members. Some opposition leaders backed Rahul Gandhi, saying issues related to national security must be discussed openly.
As the uproar continued and order could not be restored, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day, bringing the proceedings to a halt.
Also Read: Former UK minister leaves Labour party over Epstein links
