Gujarat HC revokes ban on Jaswant Singh's book

Gandhinagar, Sep 4 (ANI): The Gujarat High Court on Friday revoked the ban on expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh's controversial book "Jinnah: India -Partition, Independence."

The Narendra Modi Government had banned the book on August 19 saying the book might create communal disturbances in the state and was also derogatory of India's first Home Minister of India Sardar Vallabhai Patel.

"The Government's decision is violating the fundamental rights and freedom of expression," the High Court said.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the Gujarat Government on a petition filed by Singh the challenged the ban.

"The book has been banned because it contains defamatory references regarding Sardar Vallabhai Patel who is considered as the architect of the modern India," a senior minister in the state government had said then.

The ban came after he was expelled from the party during its Chintan Baithak in Shimla, more than a fortnight ago.

Not only intellectuals, but people from different strata of society have also shown an interest in the book, in which Singh has praised Jinnah and described him as a leader who had strong faith in united India, while blaming Sardar Patel for the partition in 1947. (ANI)