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Defence Secretary: No New Guidelines Needed for Retired Army Memoirs

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh stated that existing laws and guidelines, including the Official Secrets Act, are sufficient to govern publications by retired Army officials, dismissing the need for new rules. His comments come amid a controversy and police investigation into the alleged leak of former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane's unpublished memoirs. The Delhi Police Special Cell has filed a case and questioned officials from the publisher, Penguin India, regarding the circulation of the manuscript. The issue entered the political arena after Rahul Gandhi referenced the book's content in Parliament during a discussion on the 2020 India-China standoff.

Key Points: Defence Secretary on Ex-Army Chief Memoir Row: Laws Exist

  • Defence Secretary unaware of new guidelines proposal
  • Official Secrets Act applies to sensitive matters
  • Police probe into alleged memoir leak ongoing
  • Political row after Gandhi cited book in Parliament
2 min read

"Laws already there, no need for new guidelines ": Defence Secretary amid ex-Army Chief Naravane's unpublished memoir row

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh says existing laws like the Official Secrets Act govern retired officials' books, amid probe into ex-Army Chief Naravane's memoir leak.

"The issue is not that guidelines do not exist; the issue is whether someone has tried to bypass them. - Rajesh Kumar Singh"

By Ajit Dubey, New Delhi, February 13

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Friday said he was not aware of any proposal to introduce new guidelines for retired Army officials for writing books, amid the controversy surrounding the unpublished memoirs of former Army chief MM Naravane.

Speaking to ANI, Singh said existing rules and laws already govern such matters, including the Official Secrets Act (OSA). He added that the key issue was not the absence of guidelines, but whether any existing rules had been bypassed.

"I am not, frankly, aware of this particular issue you are mentioning regarding whether new guidelines are being considered. There are existing guidelines, and the Official Secrets Act applies. In this case, the issue is not that guidelines do not exist; the issue is whether someone has tried to bypass them. From public sources, I know that the agencies are looking into this. However, I am not aware of any new guidelines, and in any case, existing guidelines and existing laws, particularly the OSA, do apply when it comes to sensitive matters," Rajesh Kumar Singh said.

This comes after a political row erupted after Rahul Gandhi attempted to cite General Naravane's memoir, titled 'Four Stars of Destiny', in Lok Sabha, bringing in the 2020 standoff against China into the discussion during the Budget Session.

The Delhi Police, on February 9, took cognisance of information found on various social media platforms and news forums claiming that a pre-print copy of the book 'Four Stars of Destiny' is being circulated and Special Cell has filed a case into the "purported leak/breach of a yet to be approved publication".

Earlier on Thursday, the Delhi Police Special Cell questioned Penguin India officials for two consecutive days in connection with the alleged leak of former Army Chief General MM Naravane's book, sources said.

According to sources, the questioning continued for several hours on both days, with investigators seeking detailed information about the handling and circulation of the manuscript and its digital files. Officials indicated that representatives of the publishing house may be called again in the coming days as the probe progresses.

Sources in the Special Cell said the investigation is currently being conducted on two separate lines.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
It's sad to see a former Army Chief's memoir become a political football. The real issue is national security, not scoring points in Parliament. Hope the investigation is fair and swift. 🇮🇳
A
Aman W
With all due respect, sir, saying "I am not aware" doesn't inspire confidence. If there's a leak of a sensitive manuscript, the Defence Ministry should be the first to know, not the last. The process seems reactive, not proactive.
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Sarah B
Interesting to see how this unfolds. In many countries, retired military officials publish memoirs after proper vetting. The key is the vetting process itself. Was it followed? That's the question the Special Cell needs to answer.
V
Vikram M
The 2020 standoff details should remain confidential. Memoirs are fine, but not at the cost of operational secrets. Jai Hind!
K
Kavya N
Penguin India being questioned for two days straight shows how serious this is. Publishers have a huge responsibility when dealing with such subjects. Hope they were careful.

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