New Delhi [India], February 13 : Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Friday called for an end to excessive secrecy in government rules, saying national security must be protected, but using regulations to silence voices and withhold uncomfortable truths from the public is "unjustifiable."
Tagore shared a news article which stated that the Centre is working on detailed guidelines for serving and retired defence personnel who intend to publish books, following controversy surrounding the unpublished memoir of former Army chief MM Naravane.
In a post on X, Tagore wrote, "In 2029, when Rahul Gandhi becomes Prime Minister, one of the guidelines that must change is this culture of excessive secrecy. National security must always be protected. But using rules to silence voices and hide uncomfortable truths from the people of India cannot be justified."
https://x.com/manickamtagore/status/2022128767083458678?s=20
"Our armed forces deserve dignity. Our democracy deserves transparency. This is not about politics; it is about the people's right to know. Truth should never need government clearance. Respect Our Soldiers," the post read.
Currently, there is no unified law governing the publication of books by retired Army officers, with separate legal and service rules applying to serving personnel and retirees.
The controversy erupted after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi quoted excerpts from the book in Parliament. The Speaker passed a ruling, asking the LoP not to quote unpublished literature.
The controversy triggered repeated disruptions in the Lok Sabha.
Gandhi also accused the Centre of avoiding scrutiny on national security, after he was repeatedly stopped from speaking in Parliament while citing former Army Chief General MM Naravane's "memoir".
In a post on X, the Congress leader wrote, "Today, if the Prime Minister comes to Parliament, I will present him with a book. This book is not by any opposition leader. This book is not by any foreign author. This book is by the country's former Army Chief, General Naravane, and the surprising thing is that, according to the Cabinet Ministers, this book does not even exist."
"This book clearly states that when the Chinese army had entered our border, in such a critical moment, the Army Chief was made to wait. And when the time came to take a decision, the Prime Minister simply said, "Do whatever you think is appropriate." In other words, in the most serious crisis of the country's security, Modi ji raised his hands from political responsibility. General Naravane himself writes that at that time he felt the political leadership had left the army alone. This is the very truth for speaking which I am being stopped in Parliament. The country is asking questions, and the government is running away from answering," the post read.