Galwan or Doklam: Which India-China clash was Rahul Gandhi referring to in the Lok Sabha? | india news

Last updated:February 02, 2026, 16:31 IST

Galwan vs Doklam: What happened in Lok Sabha? What were the exact words of Rahul Gandhi? Which article was he referring to? How are the two India-China clashes different?

In the midst of a tussle over an issue in the Lok Sabha memoir yet to be published A question has come to the fore from former Army Chief General MM Naravane – Were the opposition leaders referring to Galwan or Doklam?

What happened in Lok Sabha? What were the exact words of Rahul Gandhi? Which article was he referring to? How are the two India-China clashes different?

Uproar in Lok Sabha on Monday: Rahul Gandhi gave speech on Doklam

Gandhi on Monday challenged the central government Over his objections to her attempt to quote from a report which apparently cited Naravane’s unpublished memoir, asking why the government was “so scared” of the material, she insisted on reading out the passages related to the Doklam standoff, which she said highlighted true patriotism.

Gandhi’s reply during the motion of thanks on the President’s address was interrupted by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who expressed concern over the fact that the Congress MP could not quote from an unpublished book, which he said was not authenticated.

Read this also Naravane’s memoir is not out yet, but here’s what the former army chief said about the India-China border standoff

Gandhi further said that this excerpt related to an incident in Doklam. Gandhi said, “The Army Chief writes, and I am quoting from an article which is a quote from his book… This is from Army Chief Naravane’s memoir. And I want you to listen well. You will understand who is really a patriot and who is not. It will take some time, so this is when four Chinese tanks were entering Indian territory. They were intruding into Doklam…,” Gandhi said.

Even when Singh objected, Gandhi responded by saying that his source was authentic and that the quotes appeared in a published magazine article. However, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla ruled that unpublished material cannot be read in the House and refused to allow the reading.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “The Speaker has ruled that articles from magazines or newspapers cannot be quoted in the House… The debate in the House should be as per the laws… We should also discuss what should be done to a member who does not follow the Speaker’s decision in the Lok Sabha.”

Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav said, “The issue related to China is very sensitive. LOP, Lok Sabha should be allowed to speak.”

Besides, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also intervened during the exchange as the House remained divided on the issue before the proceedings moved ahead amid frequent disruptions. Shah also stood up, “When the book has not been published then how can he (Rahul) cite it?”

What is an illusion?

While RG mentioned Doklam, a section of the internet pointed out that he could have referred to Galwan.

For example, one user wrote on X: “Rahul Gandhi actually says Doklam instead of Galwan at 2:30.”

“After creating and heating up the atmosphere against China, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi

#Misquoted… Said #Doklam instead of #Galwan…Rahul Gandhi ji should know that former Army Chief General Naravane has an unpublished book on Galwan and Agneepath, which was not approved for publication…” another user said.

The Caravan article quoted by Rahul Gandhi is on the Galwan conflict

The article on the magazine’s website mentions 2020, which is the year when the Galwan clash was reported. “Lt Gen Yogesh Joshi, chief of the Northern Command of the Indian Army, received a call at 8.15 pm on 31 August 2020. The information he received alarmed him. Four Chinese tanks, supported by infantry, had started moving up a steep mountain track towards Rechin La in eastern Ladakh. Joshi informed this to Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane, who immediately understood the gravity of the situation…” reads.

In a post on Unpublished Memoirs of an Army Chief This exposes how the Modi government gave rise to the China border crisis. The X post reads: “Lt Gen Yogesh Joshi, chief of the Indian Army’s Northern Command, received a call at 8.15 pm on August 31, 2020. The information he received alarmed him. Four Chinese tanks supported by infantry had started moving up a steep mountain track towards Rechin La in eastern Ladakh. Joshi informed Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane, who immediately understood the gravity of the situation. Tanks were within a few hundred meters of the Indian position on the Kailash Range, the strategic high ground that the Indian Army had seized in a dangerous race with the People’s Liberation Army, “My question to everyone was, ‘What are my orders?'” Naravane writes in his yet-unpublished memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, the situation was deteriorating dramatically and there was demand for an existing protocol.

Doklam vs Galwan

Doklam (2017) and Galwan (2020) are two separate border standoffs between India and China.

There was a 73-day standoff in Doklam due to Chinese road construction at the China-Bhutan-India trijunction in the eastern sector. It ended in mutual separation after India protested the construction near its sensitive corridor.

The 2020 Galwan Valley clash was a violent, face-off in eastern Ladakh that resulted in casualties on both sides, the first fatal encounter in 45 years. This stemmed from Chinese incursions and led to a massive, long-term build-up of troops and subsequent rounds of disengagement talks.

Following the Galwan clash, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers were killed, there was a four-year standoff between India and China. A significant breakthrough in October 2024 led to the withdrawal of 95% of troops in Depsang and Demchok, with patrolling resuming in key areas.

Netizen on this issue

Posted from Bharatiya Janata Party’s We are where we were before.” Yet, to push his false narrative, Rahul Gandhi chose to misrepresent the facts, dragging a former Army chief into his dirty politics. That too, with a book that has not even been published! When political agendas come before the country and its armed forces, it exposes a deep anti-national mindset.”

While one user said it was strange that Gandhi was not allowed to read excerpts from an unpublished book, another said that instead of an unpublished memoir, he should have referred to published interviews where Naravane has said that not even an inch of ground was lost at Galwan.

What did BJP, Congress leaders say?

BJP MP Dilip Saikia says, “…the issues raised by Lok Sabha leader Rahul Gandhi are not related to the address of the President of India…Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is trying to mislead the country and spread confusion…He was demoralizing the army and raising questions on the security of the country…”

BJP MP CP Joshi said, “The Speaker of the Lok Sabha gave many opportunities to speak to Lok Sabha leader Rahul Gandhi…He deliberately humiliated the country and demoralized the army…The opposition is playing into the hands of foreign powers…”

Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh said, “We have been saying from the beginning that there is no government that respects the Constitution. There are continuous attempts to weaken democracy. When even the leader of the opposition is not being listened to, then what kind of democracy is this?”

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said, “…It is quite clear that the book contains some very inconvenient truths. I have never seen a government so vehemently oppose a single quote from a former army chief, a respected soldier who spent his entire life protecting us, who has written an autobiography…”

with agency input

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