New Delhi, February 10 Former Army Chief M M Naravane shared on X a statement issued by the publisher of his memoir, "Four Stars of Destiny," which states that no copies of the book, in either print or digital form, have been published, distributed, sold, or otherwise made available to the public.
"This is the status of the book," Naravane wrote.
The former Army Chief shared the statement that was issued on X by Penguin India on Monday evening.
"In light of recent public discourse and media reporting, Penguin Random House India would like to clarify that we hold the exclusive publishing rights for the book 'Four Stars of Destiny,' a memoir by General Manoj Mukund Naravane, former Chief of the Indian Army. We wish to make it clear that the book has not yet been published. No copies of the book – in print or digital form – have been published, distributed, sold, or otherwise made available to the public by Penguin Random House India," the publisher stated in its statement.
Amid the controversy, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cited a December 2023 social media post by Naravane, informing people that his book was "available now," in an attempt to rebut the publisher's statement that the 'memoir' had not yet been published.
Gandhi said he believes the word of the former Army Chief over Penguin.
In another statement, the publisher on Tuesday said that an announcement about a book or its availability for pre-order should not be interpreted as publication.
