Former Army General Naravane confirms Penguin’s claim that memoir is as yet unpublished as Delhi Police files FIR

Amidst a growing parliamentary storm over his book, Four Stars of Destiny, former Army Chief Gen. M. M. Naravane on Tuesday (February 10, 2026) confirmed his publisher’s contention that the memoir has not been officially published.

Penguin Random House India said it holds the sole publishing rights to Four Stars of Destiny and asserted that the book has not gone into publication. “No copies of the book, either in print or digital form, have been published, distributed, sold, or otherwise made available to the public by Penguin Random House India,” the publisher said.

Sharing the statement by PRHI on social media, Mr. Naravane said, “This is the status of the book”. The statements came after the Delhi Police registered an FIR over the alleged illegal circulation of the unpublished manuscript in digital and other formats.

Contradicts Rahul

Mr. Naravane’s clarification follows remarks by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who earlier in the day cited a December 2023 social media post by General Naravane stating that the book was “available now”, to counter the publisher’s claim that the memoir has not yet been published.

The book quoted by Mr. Gandhi includes portions of Gen Naravane’s accounts of the 2020 Galwan clash and the military standoff along the LAC with China, as well as the government’s Agniveer scheme, which indicate differences over government policy. In particular, the opposition has attacked the government over the account of a standoff with the PLA in August 2020, when Gen Naravane allegedly awaited instructions from the government, but did not receive any clear-cut orders.

After Mr. Gandhi’s remarks, PRHI said an announcement about a book or its availability for pre-order should not be interpreted as a publication.

Copyright infringement

Neither PRHI nor Mr. Naravane explained how the book, which has not so far obtained clearance from the Ministry of Defence, reached Mr. Gandhi, nor whether the hardcopy had been printed but not distributed.

In its statement, the publisher warned that 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, constitute a copyright infringement. It added that it would pursue remedies available under the law against any illegal or unauthorised dissemination of the manuscript. The statement, PRHI said, was being issued to place its position on record.

The controversy escalated last week after Rahul Gandhi was seen holding what he described as a copy of the book within the Parliament complex, triggering political and legal scrutiny over the status and circulation of the memoir.