Ex-Army chief’s book row: BJP MP lists 40 books ‘exposing real history’ of Cong, Gandhi family

New Delhi, Feb 5: Amid the ongoing controversy in Parliament over former Army chief General M.M. Naravane’s book, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Thursday escalated his attack on the Congress party and the Gandhi family by sharing a list of 40 books that he claimed present the “real history” of India and expose alleged controversies linked to the party’s past rule.

The developments come after Parliament witnessed sharp exchanges earlier this week when Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi raised the 2020 India-China standoff issue.

Gandhi cited a magazine article that he stated referred to an “unpublished book” by the former Army chief.

He further claimed that the book contained references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The claims triggered strong protests from the treasury benches, with members demanding that Gandhi adhere to parliamentary rules and present only “authentic sources” inside the House.

The issue quickly snowballed into a political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the Opposition.

In response, Dubey released a list of 40 books, which he said covered subjects including India’s historical narratives, the Emergency period between 1975 and 1977, criticism of dynastic politics, and accounts that he claimed reveal controversial aspects of Congress governance.

The BJP MP took to the social media platform X and posted 40 separate tweets, each believed to include the title, author, and summary of one book from his list.

Dubey has accused the Opposition, particularly the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi, of holding Parliament “hostage” for several days over references to what he described as an unpublished book.

He argued that instead of discussing unverified content, Parliament should deliberate on books that have already been published and are available in the public domain.

According to him, these books shed light on what he called the “real history” of the Nehru-Gandhi family and Congress administrations.

The controversy intensified on Wednesday when Dubey brought several books into the Lok Sabha and read excerpts from them during proceedings.

His actions drew immediate objections from Opposition members, leading to disruptions.

Later, Dubey asserted that the 40 books he highlighted were only a fraction of the available material. He alleged that there are at least 150 published books that, according to him, reveal “deceit, corruption, and immoral relationships” associated with the Nehru-Gandhi family.

He also appealed to the Speaker to allow a detailed discussion on such publications, stating that it would help inform the public, particularly the younger generation, about what he described as the “story before 2014.”

Among the books cited by Dubey was ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’, which he claimed exposes the existence of a “dual power centre” during the UPA government, alleging that key decisions were made by Sonia Gandhi rather than the Prime Minister.

He also mentioned ‘These Lethal, Inexercisable Laws’, which he asserted criticises the governance style of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and raises questions related to ethical issues and the Bofors scandal controversy.

Another book referenced by Dubey was ‘Article 370 – Undoing the Unjust’, which, according to him, accuses late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of delaying Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India and prioritising personal friendships, which the book claims resulted in territorial losses.

Dubey maintained that the books he shared are all “published” works and contrasted them with what he alleged was the use of references from an “unpublished work” by the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, further fuelling the political dispute.