Rijiju Defends Secrecy of 1962 War Report Amid Parliamentary Clash Over Gandhi's Remarks
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday staunchly defended the Central government's decision to maintain the classification of the Henderson Brooks-Bhagat report concerning the 1962 India-China war. This defense came as a significant political controversy erupted within Parliament, triggered by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi being prevented from quoting from the unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane.
Minister Labels Report as Sensitive Defense Document
In a detailed post on the social media platform X, Rijiju described the Henderson Brooks-Bhagat report as a highly sensitive defense document. He emphasized that such materials should not be exploited for political purposes under any circumstances. The minister wrote, "Our Government is led by a mature leader. Since 1962, the Henderson Brooks-Bhagat Commission report has remained secret. It indicted the Nehru Government for the humiliating defeat at the hands of the Chinese PLA. Our Government has never declassified it as a defense matter that cannot be used as a political tool."
Background of the Classified War Report
The Henderson Brooks-Bhagat report was meticulously prepared by Lieutenant General Henderson Brooks and Brigadier General Premindra Singh Bhagat. It was commissioned by then Acting Army Chief General JN Chaudhuri with the specific objective of reviewing the Indian Army's operational strategies and performance during the 1962 war with China, as reported by ANI. Despite decades having passed, this comprehensive report continues to remain entirely classified, with no public access granted to its contents.
Rijiju Highlights Border Infrastructure Development
In addition to his comments on the war report, Minister Rijiju reshared a post from 2024 that prominently highlighted India's ongoing and substantial border infrastructure development projects. This move appeared to underscore the government's current focus on strengthening national security and defense capabilities along sensitive frontiers.
Parliamentary Row Over Gandhi's Citation
The minister's statements directly followed a heated parliamentary dispute that arose after Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from the unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane. This occurred during the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Lok Sabha. The Congress leader was specifically referring to the intense 2020 India-China military standoff in eastern Ladakh when he cited the memoir, which immediately drew strong and vocal objections from BJP members.
Gandhi Accuses PM Modi of Responsibility Lapse
During his parliamentary remarks, Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to fulfill his responsibilities during the 2020 clashes along the Line of Actual Control. He continued to raise the issue of the August 2020 India-China confrontation but faced repeated interruptions from senior government ministers. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and later Home Minister Amit Shah both intervened, urging Gandhi not to quote from any unverified or unpublished sources. General Naravane served as the Army Chief at the time of the Ladakh standoff, and the excerpts cited by Gandhi were recently published by an online news portal, adding fuel to the political fire.
