Can former Army chief Gen Naravane embarrass Modi Govt ? - Context --- Agniveer employment issue and his talks with Rajnath Singh on Chinese movement ??

Some of these excerpts from the memoirs of Gen M M Naravane (Retd) were released in the media last year. 

“I was in my den at Army House, with the map of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on one wall, Eastern Command on another. They were unmarked maps, but as I looked at them, I could visualise the location of each and every unit and formation. We were ready in all respects, but did I really want to start a war?” he writes.

“The country was in bad shape, reeling under the Covid pandemic. The economy was faltering, global supply chains had broken down. Would we be able to ensure a steady supply of spares, etc., under these conditions, in case of a long-drawn-out action? … Who were our supporters in the global arena, and what about the collusive threat from China and Pakistan? A hundred different thoughts flashed through my mind.” 

There have been also controversies related to Agnipath/Agniveer scheme.  

When the centra announced the Agnipath scheme on June 14, 2022, it said only 25% of recruits would be retained while the rest would be released after the completion of their four-year tenure.

Gen Naravane writes in the book, “When I had first sounded out the PM about the Tour of Duty scheme, it was more on the lines of a short-service option at the soldier level, similar to the Short Service Commission scheme for officers that was already in vogue…. 

Just as a limited number of SSC officers are taken each year, likewise a limited number of jawans would be similarly enrolled and released after the completion of their ‘tour’ with the option of re-enlisting for another tour, if found to be fit.”

The proposal did not make much headway initially because of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the clashes between the Indian and Chinese armies in Galwan in eastern Ladakh in mid-2020.

As protocol issues and 'clearance' matters are involved, any such memoir or book penned by a former army chief can be published without approval of the competent authorities in the government. Apparently, now the manuscript submitted by the General (Retd) is being reviewed by the Army as well as other higher ups.

Excerpts from the memoir 'Four Stars of Destiny' and to be published by Penguin Random House were reported in the media in December. According to sources, the publication has been asked not to share or reveal the 'excerpts' of the book to the media or otherwise till the Review is done.