Burning questions on Gen Naravane book publisher needs to answer

While the police probe into General MM Naravane's book is focussing on an unapproved manuscript being circulated online and copies entering digital markets abroad, the main question remains how it got printed as a book. These are the questions we put to the publisher, waited for a response, but all that was there was silence.

Did it drop from the sky? Was it born of the Earth? Or did it appear out of thin air? Nobody knows and the publisher isn't revealing. It has been nearly three weeks since General MM Naravane's book was mentioned in the Lok Sabha by Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, and more than 16 days since he flashed a physical copy of Four Stars of Destiny that both the publisher and the government said didn't exist. Because Gen Naravane's memoir has to do with defence-related matter and hasn't been approved for publication by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), there are some key questions for the publisher to answer.

India Today Digital reached out to Penguin Random House India, the publisher of Gen Naravane's memoir, and its officials via e-mails, phone, and text messages, seeking clarity over the baffling appearance of the book but received no response. The report will be updated if an official response is received.

The questions gain additional significance because of the place a printed copy of the book was revealed. This wasn't a first-copy book market on the streets of Connaught Place or Colaba Causeway, where pirated books are often seen. The memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, by the former Army Chief, made its appearance in India's Parliament, in the hands of a leader holding a constitutional post.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, waved the hardback copy of General Naravane's memoir following a heated debate in the House. A day earlier, he tried to read quotes from a magazine article that was based on Gen Naravane's book. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh dismissed the book's existence outright.

Rahul Gandhi was then seen on the Parliament complex, flipping through the pages of the memoir. India Today Digital went through the images to verify that it was a printed book that the Congress leader was carrying.

It is surprising that Rahul Gandhi was carrying a printed copy of the book because the manuscript hadn't been approved by the MoD. So, how did this "non-existent" book end up with him? It's a riddle, and a mystery at the same time.