Row over ex-army chief Naravane’s memoir: Publisher says only announcement book published

New Delhi: Amid the controversy surrounding former Army Chief MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir, Penguin Random House India (PRHI) on Tuesday clarified that announcing a book or making it available for pre-order does not amount to its publication.

The clarification came after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi referred to a 2023 social media post by Naravane in which he stated that his memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, was “available now”.

In a statement titled “A quick guide to how book publishing works at Penguin Random House India”, the publisher said, “An announced book, a book available for pre-order, and a published book are not the same thing.”

PRHI explained that an announcement only indicates the publisher’s intention to release the book in the future and does not mean it is ready for sale. It added that pre-order listings are a standard industry practice that allows readers and retailers to place advance orders, but do not imply that the book has been released.

The publisher further stated that even a scheduled publication date reflects only a planned timeline and does not mean the book is already available in the market.

“A book is published only when it is available at retail channels for purchase,” the statement said, adding that the company remains committed to transparency in its processes.

Earlier, PRHI had maintained that no copies of the book “in print or digital form -- have been published, distributed, sold”.

Naravane also shared statement of the publishers on his X handle as confirming the non-publication of the book. 

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters at the Parliament House complex, Rahul Gandhi read out Naravane’s 2023 post on X (formerly Twitter), which said, “Hello friends. My book is available now. Just follow the link. Happy reading. Jai Hind.”

“This is the tweet Mr Naravane has made. The point I am making is either Mr Naravane is lying, and I believe the (former) Army chief, I don't think he will lie, or Penguin is lying. Both cannot be telling the truth,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

“Penguin is saying the book is not published. The book is available on Amazon. Gen Naravane has tweeted, as I just read to you, that please buy my book. He tweeted this in 2023. Do you believe Penguin over Mr Naravane? I believe Mr Naravane,” Gandhi added.

On Monday, PRHI had reiterated that it holds exclusive publishing rights to Naravane’s memoir and that the book has not yet been officially released, amid reports of unauthorised copies being circulated, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has registered an FIR over the alleged illegal circulation of the manuscript in digital and other formats.

Last week, Gandhi was seen displaying a purported copy of the book in the Parliament complex. He has been seeking permission to quote from the memoir in the Lok Sabha since February 2, but has been prevented from doing so as the book has not been formally published.