Gourav Vallabh: The Ban on 'The Satanic Verses' Resulted from Political Appeasement
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New Delhi, Dec 26 (NationPress) BJP spokesperson Gourav Vallabh expressed his approval on Thursday regarding the Delhi High Court's ruling to remove the 36-year-old prohibition on the sale and distribution of Salman Rushdie's contentious book 'The Satanic Verses'.
Vallabh called for public respect towards the court's decision and urged individuals to avoid discussing it further. He reminisced about the initial ban, attributing it to the Congress government's appeasement strategies.
Salman Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses' is now accessible in Indian bookstores following its prohibition in 1988 under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi.
The Delhi High Court, in a ruling issued in November, addressed a petition that challenged the ban, stating that officials failed to provide the notification from October 5, 1988, which supported the ban, thus leading to the conclusion that such notification might not exist.
Recently, limited copies of the book, which incited global protests for its allegedly blasphemous nature, have surfaced in bookstores, including Bahrisons Booksellers in New Delhi.
This resurgence of the book has sparked objections from certain Muslim organizations, which have urged the central government to reinstate the ban.
In response to the situation, Vallabh stated to IANS, "The Delhi High Court has made a determination, concluding that the notification under which the book was banned 36 years ago did not exist. The High Court has rendered its verdict, and I choose not to comment further on that."
He underscored India's democratic principles, asserting, "As a democratic nation, India accommodates and respects a variety of ideas. The book's return to circulation is a direct result of the High Court's ruling."
"The book faced a ban 36 years ago due to an appeasement policy. While I cannot speak to the specific rationale behind the High Court's decision, it has ruled on the non-existence of the notification. Consequently, the book is available for purchase today. Any political entity or individual should avoid commenting on the court’s ruling," Vallabh further explained to IANS.
The High Court's decision has rekindled discussions surrounding freedom of expression and the political decision-making processes related to controversial literature.
