A fiery exchange in Lok Sabha saw Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi halted mid-speech for citing an unpublished book by ex-Army Chief General Naravane on China policy. Ministers demanded clarification, sparking uproar and halting House proceedings on February 2.
As Parliament wrapped up, reactions poured in. Congress MP Pramod Tiwari lauded Gandhi’s intervention. ‘He brought up a vital national security concern from a former top general. Why is the government bowing to China? Rajya Sabha heard it, but Lok Sabha silenced it—despite being in national interest.’
Contrasting with Kiren Rijiju’s comments, Tiwari recalled Nehru’s 1959-60 parliamentary briefing on border incidents, complete with open forums. ‘Now, they block before the book’s name. No debate on this, nor President’s speech. General Naravane’s views merit discussion. No room for security lapses. Kudos to Rahul,’ Tiwari asserted, highlighting unchecked references to other publications.
Fellow Congress MP Manish Tewari invoked precedents: 1947 Indo-Pak skirmishes, week-long 1962 China war debates, and 1965 war updates by the President. ‘National security issues must be aired in Parliament without fail.’
BJP’s Madan Rathod slammed Digvijay Singh’s democracy alarm. ‘With vast experience, he peddles irresponsibility. His Congress orchestrated Emergency’s democratic murder. Term-ending gimmicks to please bosses,’ he quipped.
Mayank Kumar Naik, another BJP voice, trusted public mandate. ‘Voters handed BJP-NDA the democracy safeguard. People’s verdict reigns supreme.’ Regarding Gandhi, ‘Speaker stopped a morale-damaging book mention during President’s address.’
The episode reveals stark partisan lines, with Congress demanding accountability on China and BJP accusing opposition of undermining spirit.