Updated on Friday, September 04, 2009, 14:59 IST
Zeenews Bureau New Delhi: Gujarat High Court on Friday overturned the state ban imposed on expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh’s book Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence. Setting aside the ban, HC opined that there is no ground to ban the book. The ban curtails fundamental rights, the court said. The state government had contended the contents of the book tarnished Sardar Patel’s image. The government alleged that certain references about Sardar Patel in the book were an attempt to defame the image of Vallabhbhai Patel as they questioned his patriotic spirit. “Jaswant Singh's book questions role of Sardar Patel during the partition of India as well as his patriotic spirit. This is an attempt to tarnish the image of Patel who is considered the architect of modern united India,” a statement issued by the state government had said. "It is a bid to defame Patel by distorting historical facts," it charged. However, Jaswnat has been maintaining all along that there is no basis on which his book could be banned. He had called the ban on his book a ‘ban on thinking’.
Expressing his joy at the High Court judgement, Jaswant said, “I am absolutely thrilled to hear the judgement. I feel vindicated now.” Taking a dig at Gujarat government for banning his book on flimsy grounds, he quipped, “Why did the court have to intervene at all. My book is no pornography. I have not used any foul or abusive language in my book.” The senior BJP leader, Jaswant Singh, had written a book on Jinnah which was released last month and is selling like hot cakes but he drew flak from his party for the same. However, he was expelled from the party before the release of the book. The expulsion of the former external affairs minister in the BJP-led NDA regime caused a stir within the party and leaders called for the reinstatement of the leader into the party after he served the party for more than 30 years.
The BJP did not want to be seen as condoning the eulogizing of Jinnah and denigration of Sardar Patel. The issue before it was not the freedom of speech, the issue was political correctness. No one can deny that political correctness, though often whimsical, is a valid matter. The High Court has rightly upheld the right to freedom of speech. Both entities - the BJP government and the High Court carried out the roles that were expected of them - the upholders of political correctness and freedom of speech respectively. Both have made their points. Now let’s get on with the reading!
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