In his first public remarks following the controversy over former Army Chief General MM Naravane’s unpublished book, ‘Four Stars of Destiny’, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that there would be no restriction on former Army Chiefs or senior officers writing books.The minister also dismissed reports claiming that officers associated with the armed forces would not be permitted to author any book until 20 years after retirement as “absolutely false”. There is no such proposal with the Ministry of Defence, Singh added.Talking about Gen Naravane’s book, the Singh said “the book is very balanced in the overall context”. He also dismissed reports of a new committee being formed to lay down any new guidelines in this regard.The issue had gained political traction during the recent budget session of Parliament as Gen Naravane’s book triggered sharp exchanges in Parliament. The matter had led to significant disruptions, making it difficult for proceedings to continue smoothly.Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had even questioned the government over granting permission for the publication of the ‘Four Stars of Destiny’ by General Naravane, who served as Chief of the Army Staff from March 2020 to April 2022.New agency PTI had also published excerpts from the book. In the memoir, the retired Army chief has detailed developments from the Galwan Valley clash of May 15–16, 2020, to the subsequent disengagement process and agreements aimed at resolving the border dispute with China.The book reportedly includes accounts of his telephone conversations and meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.He has also referred to meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and the China Study Group (CSG).The book was initially to go on sale in January 2024. However, the book has not been cleared by the MoD for publication. General Naravane had submitted a draft of his book to the MoD for clearance, which is held back. Within the MoD, it is opined that the release of the book could make sensitive military information public.