I read the news about Rahul Gandhi brandishing excerpts from an alleged unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not fulfilling his responsibility during the 2020 Ladakh standoff.
And honestly, my reaction wasn’t shock or anger.
I can only express through this little write-up my disbelief at the quality of this accusation. Like seriously?
Let me say this upfront: what Rahul Gandhi is saying may even be factually correct. That possibility cannot be ruled out. But even if it is correct, he is still making an issue out of a non-issue — and doing so in a way that weakens his own case.
“Jo Uchit Samjho, Wo Karo” — Toh Problem Kya Hai?
According to Gandhi, the Prime Minister told the Army Chief something to the effect of: “Do whatever you think is appropriate.” And, this is being framed as abdication of responsibility by Modi.
It is hard to buy that framing.
If the Prime Minister of a democratic country gives his Army Chief a free hand to deal with a fast-evolving military situation, what exactly is wrong with that? The Prime Minister is not a field commander. He ain’t a general. He himself is not going to go to Border ala Sunny Deol. Is he is not supposed to micromanage troop movements or tactical decisions. For that we already have a professional army.
Unless someone is alleging that Modi prevented General Naravane from acting (which no one is mercifully) this accusation simply does not land.
Trusting institutional expertise is not abandonment. It is often the most responsible thing a civilian leader can do.
Credibility Matters == And RG Lacks It
There is another uncomfortable truth here: Rahul Gandhi’s own history in dealing with matters of national importance does not lend much credibility to his accusations.
Maybe he means well. (No, he does not).
Maybe he genuinely believes he is speaking truth to power. (He is not.)
Or maybe this is just the reflex of an entitled dynast who assumes moral authority without earning any real credibility.
The fact remains that without the public actually reading this book, most people are not going to take Rahul Gandhi at face value. And that skepticism is not because of blind faith in the government — it is because of the fella’s own track record.
This is a politician who has addressed the Chair of the Lok Sabha with casual remarks like “Arey yaar.” That may sound trivial, but it signals something deeper: a persistent inability to rise to the gravity of the office and the moment.
You cannot demand to be taken seriously on national security while consistently behaving like you don’t take Parliament seriously.
Theatre Instead of Accountability
Waving a book that Parliament claims does not exist.
Threatening to physically hand it to the Prime Minister.
Claiming the government is “scared” of what is written.
This is not how mature accountability works. This is political theatre.
Real accountability would involve demonstrating how the Army was constrained, delayed, or overridden by the political leadership. Not emotional claims, dramatic pauses, or insinuations built around an unpublished text that the public cannot independently evaluate.
A Free Hand Is Not a Crime — It’s a Pattern
Even if Modi told the Army Chief, “You decide,” that does not automatically translate into failure of leadership. Civilian control does not mean operational micromanagement. It means setting political objectives and allowing professionals to execute them.
More importantly, this approach is not unique to Ladakh. Modi has followed the same model during the surgical strikes, the Balakot air strikes, and other security operations (most recently Operation Sindoor). Modi can credibly be said to be setting aside the political objective and deliberately staying out of tactical decision-making. That model was praised then. It cannot suddenly become a sin now simply because it suits an opposition narrative.
Unless there is evidence of interference, obstruction, or deliberate inaction, this controversy feels manufactured. It is noise pretending to be substance.
Rahul Gandhi may be right on facts. But he is over stretching them to suit his narrative.
He is also wrong on framing. He is wrong on priorities.
And critically, wrong in assuming that outrage alone substitutes credibility.
Giving the Army Chief a free hand during a crisis is not a scandal.
It is often the very essence of responsible civilian leadership in a democracy.
If this is the strongest indictment on offer, then the problem is not a silenced democracy, it is an opposition that still hasn’t learned the difference between noise and substance.
India deserves a better opposition than Congress Party. Congress Party deserves a better leader than Rahul Gandhi.
