The Hindu : National : BJP wants ban on book

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 10, 2006

National

National

BJP wants ban on book

Special Correspondent

Book denigrates Hindu gods and goddesses: V.K. Malhotra

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded that the book Haqeeqat be banned and withdrawn immediately. It also demanded that the Padma Shri given to its publisher three years ago by the Vajpayee Government be "taken back."

Parliamentary party spokesperson V.K. Malhotra criticised the Left parties for defending the publication when the matter was raised in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, leading to an adjournment for an hour.

Mr. Malhotra said the entire country had criticised the publication of caricatures of Prophet Muhammed by some European newspapers, but unfortunately similar sentiments had not been expressed on Haqeeqat that denigrated Hindu deities.

The book was apparently published in Kerala, but Hindi translations were circulated in Rajasthan and elsewhere.

On Thursday, the BJP distributed "offending" passages from the book that talked about Lord Krishna's dalliance with the `gopis.'

Asked why the publisher was given Padma Shri, Mr. Malhotra said that was before the publication of Haqeeqat and it was done "on the recommendation of the Kerala Government."

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