“What Are They Afraid Of?” Rahul Gandhi’s Ladakh Quote Sparks Explosive Face-Off With Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh; Lok Sabha Adjourned

Delhi: The Lok Sabha turned into a political battlefield on Monday after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi triggered a storm by citing a magazine article linked to the unpublished memoirs of former Army Chief General (Retd) Manoj Mukund Naravane while responding to the motion of thanks on the President’s address. What followed was a rare, high-decibel confrontation involving Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and sharp interventions from the Speaker’s chair.

As Gandhi began reading from the article referring to the Ladakh standoff with China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh rose to object, interrupting the Congress leader mid-speech. Singh questioned the legitimacy of quoting material from a book that has not yet been officially released.

“I want that the LoP, Lok Sabha, should present before the House the book he is quoting from, because the book he is referring to has not been published,” Singh asserted, arguing that parliamentary rules do not permit references to unpublished material.

Unfazed, Gandhi hit back, accusing the government of selectively invoking nationalism to silence dissent. “The Defence Minister, Home Minister and the Prime Minister raise questions on our party, party leaders, and our nationalism. This article writes about the PM’s character… This is neither about China, nor the PM,” he said.

Doubling down, the Congress MP asked, “What does it contain which is scaring them so much? If they are not scared, I should be allowed to read on.”

Home Minister Amit Shah also entered the fray, countering Gandhi’s allegations and defending the ruling side. “Tejasvi Surya, in his speech, has not raised any questions on the Opposition’s character or their patriotism,” Shah said, rejecting the charge that BJP leaders were attacking the opposition’s nationalism.

The heated exchange drew reactions from across the aisle. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav came out in support of Gandhi, stressing the gravity of the issue being discussed. “The matter relating to China is very sensitive. LoP, Lok Sabha should be allowed to speak,” Yadav said, urging the Chair to let the discussion continue.

However, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla sided with the rulebook, objecting to the reference to an unpublished work and calling for restraint. As sloganeering and interruptions escalated, the proceedings became increasingly disorderly.