SC issues notice to Gujarat govt on Jaswant's plea on book ban

The Supreme Court issued notice to the Narendra Modi government on Tuesday on a petition filed by expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh challenging the order banning his controversial book on Mohammad Ali Jinnah in Gujarat.

A bench comprising Justice Altamas Kabir and Cyriac Joseph asked the state government's counsel to seek

instruction on the issue and posted the matter for further hearing to 8th September.

Senior Advocates Fali S Nariman and Soli Sorabjee, appearing for the veteran politician, contended that banning of the book was violative of fundamental rights of its author and publisher.

Gujarat government had banned the book on Pakistan's founder on 19th August, two days after its launch, on the charge that its contents were against public tranquillity and national interest.

The 71 year old politician challenged the state government's notification alleging that the authority banned the book 'Jinnah - India, Partition, Independence' arbitrarily and without going through its contents. It amounts to violation of his fundamental rights of speech and expression, Singh said.

"Fundamental right of freedom of speech has been sought to be taken away by the Gujarat government by banning the book through a hasty and arbitrary notification," Singh, who has written ten books, said in his petition.

Terming the ban as illegal, the eight-time MP submitted that the book was based on "historical facts" and five years of extensive research and that it could not be proscribed on the state government's "specious" plea.