Bengaluru, 4 Feb

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday accused the central government of "attempting to silence" the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, saying it strikes at the heart of India’s democracy.

He was referring to Rahul Gandhi being disallowed from quoting an article that cited an unpublished memoir of former Army chief MM Naravane on the 2020 India-China conflict in the Lok Sabha.

"The Modi government’s repeated attempts to silence the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament are deeply troubling and strike at the heart of India’s democracy," Siddaramaiah said in a post on 'X'.

Stating that Rahul Gandhi raised legitimate questions on national security based on excerpts from 'Four Stars of Destiny', the book authored by Naravane, he said the book, originally slated for release in 2024, remains unpublished because it is "being withheld" by the Government of India.

"The excerpts were quoted in a recent article by The Caravan magazine. Importantly, General Naravane has not denied the contents attributed to him. On the contrary, he has publicly acknowledged that his book is awaiting government clearance," he said.

"If these statements were inaccurate or misleading, the government could have issued a clear denial. Its decision instead to withhold the book and silence discussion only deepens the suspicion that uncomfortable truths are being suppressed," Siddaramaiah added.

He said that the book indicates that during the critical phase of the 2020 China border standoff, the Modi government "failed" to take clear and decisive strategic calls, leaving the armed forces to manage a complex political crisis within broader constraints.

"This points not to any failure of the Army, but to a lack of strong political leadership at the highest level under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Defence Minister Rajnath Singh," he added.

"Such issues deserve serious discussion in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi did what a responsible Leader of the Opposition is duty-bound to do—ask questions on behalf of the people. He did not speak against the nation or the armed forces," Siddaramaiah said.

"Yet, instead of answering, the government stalled Parliament for two consecutive days, suspended eight opposition MPs, and, in an unprecedented act, prevented the Leader of the Opposition from speaking on the president’s address," he added.

The chief minister said that in any responsible democracy, "such grave revelations" would have led to accountability and serious political consequences at the highest level.

"Instead, this government has chosen suppression and intimidation," he alleged.

"If the Modi government has nothing to hide, why silence debate? And if India’s national interest was fully safeguarded, why fear scrutiny in Parliament?" he asked.