Banning the book “Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence” is a serious intrusion on fundamental rights of the citizens, the Gujarat High Court said on Friday ordering the government to lift the ban on the book written by expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh.
The court also said the government had not read the book thoroughly and had not applied its mind in characterising the book as “against national interest” before imposing the ban.
The Gujarat government had proscribed the book in the state stating the contents of the book was “objectionable, misleading, and against public tranquillity”. The government had also claimed the book had misrepresented the image of Sardar patel and tried to tarnish his patriotic spirit. The book was banned for defamatory references to India’s first home minister, which was not acceptable to anyone, the government had said.
The state government had issued a notification under section 95 of the CrPC on August 19 banning Singh's book on the ground that it was against "national interest" and the contents were "misleading".
The HC, however, did not accept any of the government’s such contentions, but said the government could come out with fresh notifications in this regard, if it wanted.
The 71-year-old writer of the book, Jaswant Singh, welcomed the decision and said he was thrilled by the judgment. "It is a matter of satisfaction that the court has lifted the ban on the book, Singh said, adding the court had upheld freedom of speech.
Singh has also filed a separate case in the Supreme Court challenging the ban, which will be heard on September 8.
Within a couple of days of releasing the book, Jaswant Singh was expelled by BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) from the party on August 19 without seeking any clarification from him; on the pretext of eulogising Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, and making him custodian of secularism, and Nehru and Patel as the culprit of partition of India. The controversy surrounding the book, on the other hand, earned it good, zooming it to the top of the bestseller not only in India but also in Pakistan where Jinnah has the same respect as Gandhi in India.
Showing posts with label Independence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Independence. Show all posts
Friday, September 4, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Jaswant Singh and controversy not apart
Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) senior leader Jaswant Singh and controversies are not new to each other. In fact, both are two sides of the same coin. The fresh controversy erupted from the releasing of his new book 'Jinnah — India, Independence, Partition' in which he made Jinnah as custodian of secularism and Nehru as the culprit of partition of India.
Cutting across the party lines in thought and principle, Jaswant Singh has been expelled from the party for eulogising Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, in his latest book.
The 71-year-old leader, perhaps, has to pay the price for creating needless controversy through his book. Had he been known that by going against the BJP and above all its ideological boss Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) principle through his nascent discovery – a secular Jinnah, he would have thought twice before praising Jinnah.
RSS once again has proved its hegemony over the BJP, and driven home the straightforward message that the party is still driven by the Hindutva message and any kind of dissent in the party will no longer be tolerated. However, grabbing public attention by touching off controversy through his writing is not new for Jaswant Singh.
He had used the same gimmick during the releasing of his previous book “A Call to Honour: In Service of Emergent India in 2006”, when he alleged that there was a mole in the prime minister’s office in the nineties during the tenure of Congress prime minister PV Narsimha Rao who leaked vital information to American sources.
But, he dramatically backtracked when contradicted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who asked him to name the mole. The former external affairs minister said he had a strong hunch that information was being leaked from the PMO.
And now in his latest book that released on Monday, he has glorified Jinnah and held India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and its first home minister Vallabhbhai Patel responsible for the country's partition in 1947. He claimed Nehru as the culprit of partition and Jinnah as a supporter of federal polity, which even Gandhi accepted.
He has also earned disgrace for escorting terrorists to Kandhar, Afghanistan who were released by the government in exchange of passengers from the hijacked Indian Airlines plane. The decision, however, was taken mutually by bringing all political parties in confidence, but he personally faced ridicule and criticism as he accompanied terrorists when he was the then foreign minister.
He again found himself in the midst of controversy last year after being accused of illegal drug possession. He was accused of offering saffron milk laced with opium to his guests at his home in Jasol, Barmer during the feast known as ‘riyan’. Jaswant Singh, however, denied the charge in the court.
Cutting across the party lines in thought and principle, Jaswant Singh has been expelled from the party for eulogising Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, in his latest book.
The 71-year-old leader, perhaps, has to pay the price for creating needless controversy through his book. Had he been known that by going against the BJP and above all its ideological boss Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) principle through his nascent discovery – a secular Jinnah, he would have thought twice before praising Jinnah.
RSS once again has proved its hegemony over the BJP, and driven home the straightforward message that the party is still driven by the Hindutva message and any kind of dissent in the party will no longer be tolerated. However, grabbing public attention by touching off controversy through his writing is not new for Jaswant Singh.
He had used the same gimmick during the releasing of his previous book “A Call to Honour: In Service of Emergent India in 2006”, when he alleged that there was a mole in the prime minister’s office in the nineties during the tenure of Congress prime minister PV Narsimha Rao who leaked vital information to American sources.
But, he dramatically backtracked when contradicted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who asked him to name the mole. The former external affairs minister said he had a strong hunch that information was being leaked from the PMO.
And now in his latest book that released on Monday, he has glorified Jinnah and held India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and its first home minister Vallabhbhai Patel responsible for the country's partition in 1947. He claimed Nehru as the culprit of partition and Jinnah as a supporter of federal polity, which even Gandhi accepted.
He has also earned disgrace for escorting terrorists to Kandhar, Afghanistan who were released by the government in exchange of passengers from the hijacked Indian Airlines plane. The decision, however, was taken mutually by bringing all political parties in confidence, but he personally faced ridicule and criticism as he accompanied terrorists when he was the then foreign minister.
He again found himself in the midst of controversy last year after being accused of illegal drug possession. He was accused of offering saffron milk laced with opium to his guests at his home in Jasol, Barmer during the feast known as ‘riyan’. Jaswant Singh, however, denied the charge in the court.
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