When the Delhi Police registered as case against online circulation of former Indian Army chief Gen MM Naravane's unpublished autobiography on Monday, it was only the latest twist in a row that started in Parliament last Monday. A week later, cops are trying to track how the PDF copy of the memoir went viral.

A printed copy of the unpublished memoir of former Indian Army chief General MM Naravane in the hands of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Parliament premises in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi started it on February 2, but not really with the book as such.

The Congress MP brought to the House a printout of an article in The Caravan magazine. That article further referred to excerpts from the book, 'Four Stars of Destiny', that is pending for approval with the Ministry of Defence.

Rahul Gandhi said passages from the book show Prime Minister Narendra Modi “ran from his responsibility” when Gen Naravane told him about some “Chinese tanks approaching Indian territory in 2020”, weeks after a clash in Galwan valley claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers.

Gen MM Naravane served as India’s Chief of Army Staff from December 2019 to April 2022.

“First, they said that I cannot quote a book. Then I said I'm not quoting a book, I'm quoting a magazine. Then they said you cannot quote a magazine. Then I said I'll speak about it. Then they didn't want me to speak about it,” Gandhi said this Monday, February 9, a week after the row began.

In between, the Congress leader even brought a printed copy of the book to the Parliament complex, which he said he would give to the PM.

The PM did not come to the Lok Sabha that day, as BJP leaders and Speaker Om Birla later said there was a likelihood of Modi being attacked by Congress MPs in the House.

Modi later spoke in the Rajya Sabha on the India-US trade deal that was announced by US President Donald Trump, and confirmed by the PM on February 2 night, just hours after the row over the book began in the Lok Sabha.

Parliament has remained largely stalled since, as Rahul continues to flash the book and the Opposition insists there be a discussion on its contents about China, as well as on the India-US trade deal framework, as part of international relations.

Amid this, the Delhi police on Monday evening, February 9, said an investigation has been started into the circulation of a soft copy (in PDF format) of the unpublished autobiography of Gen Naravane.

“Delhi Police took cognizance of information found on various online social media platforms and news forums which claimed that a pre-print copy of the book 'Four Stars of Destiny' is being circulated,” a police spokesperson said. Necessary clearance for publication of this book is yet to be received from the relevant authorities, they added.

“Upon verification, it was found that a PDF copy of a type-set book with the same title, and apparently prepared by M/s Penguin Random House India Pvt. Limited, is available on certain websites and, also, some online marketing platforms have displayed the finished book cover as if it is available for purchase,” the spokesperson further said.

“In order to carryout a thorough investigation into this purported leak/breach of a yet to be approved publication, a case has been registered with the Special Cell and investigation is being taken up,” they also said.

It was not immediately clear what sections of law it would attract.

Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General MM Naravane's autobiography or memoir, 'Four Stars of Destiny', is not available for purchase as it needed government approval that’s not yet been granted.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh has asserted in the Lok Sabha, “I am confident, this book has never been published.”

Gen Naravane has not spoken on the matter so far, though he has in the past confirmed that the book is pending for MoD approval.

Rahul Gandhi has claimed Gen Naravane wrote that when he informed Rajnath Singh and other leaders, including NSA Ajit Doval, about “Chinese tanks approaching”, he got no direct reply for a long time.

“And then he writes that the PM’s message conveyed to him was, ‘Jo uchit samjho, woh karo’ (Hindi for ‘do what you think is right’)… This means Narendra Modi ji did not fulfil his responsibility; effectively telling the army chief to handle it as he could not decide,” the Congress leader said. “Naravane ji has clearly said in this book, that he felt alone and was abandoned by the entire establishment,” Rahul Gandhi further claimed.

Rajnath Singh and others who are allegedly mentioned in the book have not responded to the express questions about their handling of the Galwan clash and other India-China border issues.

In the Lok Sabha, Rajnath and other ministers asserted that quoting from a book that’s not been published is not just against Parliament’s rules but also “against national interest” and “harms national security”.

Rajnath even asked rhetorically why the writer of the claimed book (Gen Naravane) “did not go to court” over the pending approval “if the facts in it are right”.

Home minister Amit Shah and other BJP MPs also repeatedly said the book was “never published”. Speaker Om Birla agreed with their contention.

“(Rahul Gandhi) should present the book that he is claiming to quote from. I want to see it; this House wants to see it,” Rajnath Singh said.

The PDF version of the book is since being shared over WhatsApp and other online platforms.

Rahul Gandhi may have held up a printed copy but General Manoj Mukund Naravane's memoir 'Four Stars of Destiny' has indeed never been available for the public to buy or access.

It was supposed to be published in April 2024, as per pre-order announcements made in late 2023 by the publisher, Penguin. Amazon and Flipkart till had listings that said: “Currently unavailable. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.” Those listings went away after the row in Parliament erupted.

The former army chief was asked about this book in October 2025 at a literature festival in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh.

“My job was to write the book and give it to the publishers. It is for the publishers to get permission from the MoD (Ministry of Defence). They have given it to them, and it is still under review,” he said.

He said it’s been under review “for more than a year now”, as of October 2025.

“So it's not for me, it's beyond; not for me to actually follow up,” Gen Naravane added, “The ball is in the publisher’s and the MoD’s court. But I enjoyed writing the book, for better or for worse, and that's that… It is for the MoD to give permission as and when they deem fit.”

Gen Naravane has said he was given the idea to write the book by the publishers' reps at a 2023 launch of the then Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat's book launch.

It is considered standard practice for books by former senior military officials to undergo scrutiny to check for sensitive material, but General Naravane’s book drew controversy for reportedly revealing discussions on issues such as the Agnipath scheme and the Galwan clash.

The book's Amazon and Flipkart listings said it has 448 pages. The description read: “From his fi­rst encounter with the Chinese as a young officer in Sikkim to dealing with them in Galwan when he was Chief, from daily incidents of fi­ring across the LC to implementing a ceasefi­re with Pakistan, General Naravane takes us through his distinguished career spanning over four decades that saw him serve in all corners of the country.”

Aarish Chhabra is an Associate Editor with the HT Online team. He writes, edits, and manages coverage for the Hindustan Times news website.