Mah Govt to seek legal opinion to reimpose ban on Laine book

Aurangabad, May 9 (UNI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil today said the government was contemplating to reimpose ban on the controversial book on Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji by an American author James Laine to maintain social harmony.

Talking to reporters here tonight, Mr Patil said the state government favoured the ban and would seek a legal opinion against the recent Bombay High Court's judgement regarding lifting of the ban on the book 'Shivaji: A Hindu King in Islamic India'.

Justifying the ban imposed earlier on the book in view of the public outrage and social tension, Mr Patil, who also holds the Home portfilio, said the reasons, even now, held good for reimposing the ban on the book.

He referred to the Supreme Court's latest judgement allowing the Karnataka government to ban a book to maintain the law and order situation and social harmony on the ground that the ''public interest'' should always take precedence over individual's rights.

The Supreme Court, in its judgement, had stated that the contents of publications like books, newspapers and others of the kind can be as dangerous as a bomb. It upheld the Karnataka government's power to nullify a publication which can endanger public order.

The apex court ruled that while the freedom of speech and expression provided under Article 19 of the Constitution was a fundamental right and such a freedom ''is an indicator of the permanent address of human progress'', that, however, did not grant any unfettered right.

The judgment came in response to a special leave petition filed by noted Kannada writer Baraguru Ramachandrappa and others challenging the ban that the Karnataka Government had imposed in 1995 on Dr P V Narayana's Kannada novel 'Dharmakaarana'.

UNI