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The “unpublished” book of former Army Chief General (retired) MM Naravane continues to make headlines and has consequences beyond what was expected.
A fresh report has claimed that the Union government is now mulling putting in place a cooling-off period of 20 years (two decades) for senior officials in high-ranking positions, including the military, before they can publish any book after retirement.
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The Hindustan Times newspaper reported Saturday that the new rules could be announced soon.
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‘I believe Gen Naravane over Penguin’: Rahul Gandhi
The development comes after Gen Naravane’s memoir, titled ‘Four Stars of Destiny’, triggered a political firestorm even before it was officially published.
The controversy erupted after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi read excerpts from the unpublished book in the Lok Sabha about two weeks ago, taking reference from an online magazine article on the same.
The excerpts were on the 2020 India-China border standoff in eastern Ladakh, one of the most delicate periods in Indian military history.
Union ministers, including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, as well as the Lok Sabha Chair, had stopped Gandhi from reading excerpts of the unpublished book.
The Congress leader later brought a hard copy of the book to the Parliament complex, claiming it was available outside the country. The publisher, Penguin India, as well as the author, later stated that the book remains unpublished as a final nod from the Ministry of Defence was still awaited.
Former Army Chief MM Naravane reacts amid controversy over his memoir
However, amid these denials, a PDF copy of the book was leaked online, triggering an FIR and a criminal investigation by the Delhi Police.
“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, constitute 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,” the publisher said in a statement issued earlier this week.
The matter of the book came up before the Union Cabinet yesterday, and the newspaper reported that several ministers suggested putting in place a cooling-off period for books by senior officers who have served in positions of power.
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