Naravane Memoir Row: Publisher Says No Version Of Book Has Been Released After FIR

New Delhi: Penguin Random House India on Monday clarified that it is the sole official publisher of former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane's autobiography, Four Stars of Destiny. The publishing house said in clear words that this book has neither been printed nor released publicly yet.

According to the publisher, whatever copies are currently visible in the market or anywhere online are not authorized. That means they have not been issued by the company.

Then how did unauthorized copies surface?

In recent times, there have been reports that some digital and print copies of the book are being shared on social media and other mediums. Due to this the matter came to a head.

This entire incident has also attracted the attention of the police. It is reported that Delhi Police has registered an FIR regarding illegal dissemination of material and has started an investigation.

What did the publisher say in its statement?

The publishing house in its official statement bluntly said that all the publishing rights of the book are reserved with them. Neither a print edition nor a digital version has been released yet.

They also added that if anyone has a copy of the book, be it PDF, photostat or any other form, it is a copyright violation. Such distribution should be stopped immediately.

Was there any controversy regarding this book in Parliament also?

The matter was not limited to publication only. A debate broke out regarding this in Parliament also. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen in the Lok Sabha with a copy of the book.

It is being said that he wanted to cite excerpts related to the India-China conflict of 2020, but he was not allowed to do so. After this, there was uproar in the Lok Sabha for several days.

What does the whole controversy indicate?

On the one hand, the book has not been officially published yet, on the other hand, the circulation of its alleged copies and the discussion on it in Parliament have both brought it into the limelight. Now all eyes are on the investigation and the next step of the publisher.