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Thursday, Mar 31, 2011
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Gujarat House resolution to ban Lelyveld's book

Special Correspondent

GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat government has banned Joseph Lelyveld's controversial book, Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His struggle with India, which allegedly calls the Father of the Nation a racist and bisexual.

A resolution to ban the sale, distribution and reprint of the book was moved in the Assembly on Wednesday by Chief Minister Narendra Modi and promptly supported by Leader of the Opposition Shaktisinh Gohil of the Congress. It was adopted unanimously and the government later issued a notification.

The resolution requested the Centre to impose a similar ban all over the country and officially condemn the American writer's “deplorable attempts to malign the great son of India.”

Mr. Modi said no one in his right mind could accept the writer's distorted notions on the life and actions of the Mahatma, who had earned respect and adorations from the people all over the world for his principles. “The people of Gujarat will never tolerate such insult to Gandhiji.”

Mr Gohil said the government and the people of the State should take such action that no one in future would dare to “use such dirty words for the Mahatma” and paint him in a poor light. All parties in the State should jointly burn effigies of the writer “to express our anger.”

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