'Book Considered Published Only When On Sale': Penguin's Fresh Clarification In Naravane Row

Last Updated:February 10, 2026, 15:52 IST

Penguin clarifies Four Stars of Destiny by Naravane is not published, despite pre-order links. Rahul Gandhi questions inconsistencies, but Penguin insists no copies are available.

Amid the ongoing controversy over General (Retd.) MM Naravane’s memoir Four Stars of Destiny, Penguin India on Tuesday issued another clarification, stating that an announced title, a pre-order listing and a published book are distinct stages, and that a book is considered published only when it is available for purchase across retail channels.

In its latest clarification, the publisher said the presence of a pre-order listing does not amount to publication. “A book is considered published only when it is available for purchase across retail channels," Penguin Random House India said, reiterating that Four Stars of Destiny has not been published in any format.

The renewed clarification comes after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi questioned the publisher’s stand, alleging inconsistencies over the book’s status. Citing a 2023 post by Naravane that said, “Hello friends. My book is available now. Just follow the link. Happy reading. Jai Hind," Rahul Gandhi claimed the tweet suggested the book had been made available. He said either Naravane or Penguin was “lying" about the release.

The publisher has maintained that the tweet carried only a pre-order link and that the book was withdrawn two days later. Since then, Four Stars of Destiny has remained unavailable on e-commerce platforms, Penguin said.

After Penguin’s second clarification, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla, too, attacked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, calling him a “national embarrassment" and accusing him of not understanding the difference between a pre-order listing and a published book.

Also Read: ‘I Believe Gen Naravane, Don’t Think He’ll Lie’: Rahul Gandhi Reacts To Penguin’s Statement On Book

Poonawalla said the tweet cited by Gandhi referred only to a pre-order and raised questions over how Gandhi accessed the book in the first place, asking whether it amounted to violations of the Copyright Act and the Official Secrets Act.

He also alleged that Gandhi had misled the country, levelled “completely false" allegations against Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and disrupted Parliament on the basis of what he claimed was an incorrect premise.

Earlier, Penguin India had issued a formal statement on X asserting that it holds the sole publishing rights for the book and that it has not been released. “We wish to make it clear that the book has not gone into publication. No copies of the book, in print or digital form, have been published, distributed, sold, or otherwise made available to the public by Penguin Random House India," the publisher said.

The publisher also warned that any copies currently in circulation, whether in print, digital, PDF or any other format, amount to copyright infringement and must be stopped immediately. It added that it would pursue legal remedies against any illegal or unauthorised sharing of the book and said the clarification was being issued to place its position on record.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi triggered a political row after displaying a copy of former Army chief General (Retd.) MM Naravane’s memoir Four Stars of Destiny in the Lok Sabha, drawing strong objections from senior BJP leaders who said the Leader of the Opposition cannot quote in Parliament from an unpublished book.

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