Based on a complaint lodged by one Shubhangi Tyagi, a UP court has ordered an FIR against senior advocate and veteran Congress leader, Salman Khurshid. His recent book, “Sunrise Over Ayodhya: Nationhood In Our Times” compares the Hindutva to ISIS.
In fact, the petitioner had earlier moved an application in the police station for registering an FIR. However, with the police not finding merit in the case, she petitioned in Court.
Additional chief judicial magistrate Shantanu Tyagi ordered registration of FIR and directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to send a copy of the FIR to the court within three days. The order also directed authorities to carry out a proper investigation. The book by Khurshid, which drew comparisons between Hindutva and ISIS, had drawn the ire of many. Miscreants had also vandalised Khurshid’s house at Nainital against the book.
A plea filed in Delhi High Court to ban Khurshid’s book, was rejected on November 25. Justice Yashwant Verma, who heard the matter, remarked: “If you don’t agree with the author, don’t read it. Please tell people book is badly authored, read something better.”
The controversial paragraph of the book, which was reproduced in the petition, reads: Sanatan dharma and classical Hinduism known to sages and saints was being pushed aside by a robust version of Hindutva, by all standards a political version similar to jihadist Islam of groups likes ISIS and Boko Haram of recent years.
On November 17, a Delhi court had refused to grant interim injunction against the circulation, publication, distribution and sale of the book.
“The defendants have the right to write/ publish the book. The plaintiff has not been able to establish that inconvenience will be caused to him to avoid the book or alleged “offensive” excerpts of the book. On the other hand, injunction would lead to hardship for the publishers and also curtail the right of speech and expression of the author,” observed Civil Judge Preeti Parewa.
