New Delhi: Jaswant Singh's book that got him expelled from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now creating fissures in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), with many key allies opposing the idea of banning the book.
BJP-ruled Gujarat has already banned the book "Jinnah - India, Partition, Independence", which says that Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah has been demonised in India and holds country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and home minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel also responsible for the partition.
The Gujarat government led by Narendra Modi banned the book for being critical of Patel's role during partition.
"I do not support the ban. Banning a book does not help," Shiv Sena MP Bharat Kumar Raut told IANS.
Jaswant Singh, who has held defence, finance and external affairs portfolios in BJP-led governments, was expelled from the party Aug 19.
Raut said: "If you want to contest the content of a book then it should be done either through writing or on various other forums."
Janata Dal-United (JD-U) MP Monazir Hassan also said that in a democracy everyone has a right to express his views.
"I am not in favour of banning the book. It is not justified, in a democracy every one has a right to express his views," Hassan told IANS. The BJP leadership has left it to the respective governments in the BJP ruled states to decide whether to ban the book or not.
"It depends on the state whether to ban the book or not. It is their right to decide," party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said when asked if the party would like the book to be banned in BJP-ruled states.
Among these states, Karnataka has already declared it will not ban the book, while the Madhya Pradesh government was SDaturday reported to be of the also of the view that the book should not be banned.
IANS
No wonder Key NDA allies are not in favor of Banning the book as Jaswant Singh blames Nehru and Sardar Patel (READ CONGRESS) for Partition.
Gujarat had to do as Sardar Patel was a leader from Gujarat.
If anything is written against Shivaji, Shiv Sena would started burning shops and buses.
Raut said(Shiv Sena): "If you want to contest the content of a book then it should be done either through writing or on various other forums." - Perhaps his memory is short as what they did on book on Shvaji.
Well in Politics every Politicians have local priorities and National Interest takes back seat.
This includes CONgress who are not defending wrong things written about Nehru and Sardar Patel since its suits them to see internal fights in BJP - they also seems to be least bothered if Nehru and Sardar Patel are pictured WRONGLY.
P.C.Chadaga
#4
22 August 2009 15:54:52
Let us allow people to read Jaswanth Singhs book and have a healthy debate.Demacracy will survive if we follow the principle I may disageee with you but I will defend your right to put forth your views.
K.Venugopal
#6
22 August 2009 18:43:30
These folks who oppose the banning of Jaswant Singh's book are just the folks who would have supported banning of Satanic Verses. Jinnah, the person most responsible for partition of the country, is eulogized, and Sardar Patel, the person most responsible for uniting the country, is slighted. If such a book is not banned, which book should be banned? Otherwise, no book should ever be banned.
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