The controversy surrounding former Army Chief General (Retd) MM Naravane’s yet-to-be-published memoir Four Stars of Destiny has escalated into a political and legal flashpoint, drawing sharp reactions from the Opposition, the publisher, and people involved in the matter. Speaking to the media outside Parliament, LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi questioned the conflicting claims over the book’s publication status.
For fact-checking purposes, ABP Live reviewed major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart, along with leading local bookstore network such as Om Book Shop, to verify claims about the availability of former Army Chief General (Retd) MM Naravane’s memoir Four Stars of Destiny.
Hello friends. My book is available now. Just follow the link. Happy reading. Jai Hind pic.twitter.com/VCiLiZOWIi
— Manoj Naravane (@ManojNaravane) December 15, 2023
Earlier, Gandhi said he trusted the former Army Chief’s statements more and suggested that either Naravane or publisher Penguin Random House India was not telling the truth. He also alleged that the manuscript contains material uncomfortable for the government and top leadership.
We found that although the book appeared as a listing on certain platforms at different points, there was no clear evidence of active public sale. In several cases, listings showed 'currently unavailable', lacked purchase options, or did not appear even after multiple keyword searches on platforms such as Flipkart.
This is because the presence of a listing on e-commerce platforms does not automatically mean a product is available for purchase. Industry practice allows placeholder listings, metadata uploads, or pre-publication entries to appear on platforms well before an official release.
Publisher Penguin Random House India has maintained that the book has not been formally published in print or digital format and that no authorised copies have been released into the public domain.
Statement from the publisher. pic.twitter.com/pksacg3EeT
— Penguin India (@PenguinIndia) February 9, 2026
The publisher has also warned that any circulating copies could amount to copyright violation.
