The Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) on Saturday, 30 August 2025, condemned the alleged assault on participants of a book-reading session at AUDA Garden in Ahmedabad's Vastrapur area, demanding that citizens' right to read, discuss and express views peacefully in public spaces be upheld. The condemnation came a day after Ahmedabad Police arrested three people and booked approximately 20 others in connection with violence that erupted during the session on Thursday, 27 August.

What Happened at AUDA Garden

Participants had gathered at the garden to read 'I Am Malala' by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, 'The Diary of a Young Girl' by Anne Frank, and works by other writers. According to police, around 20 people confronted the group over the reading of Yousafzai's book, after which an altercation broke out. Two people sustained minor injuries.

The session itself was organised in the backdrop of a controversy at a local school, where books by Yousafzai and Anne Frank had been removed from the compulsory reading list following protests by right-wing groups. The school subsequently made both books optional.

Police Action and Investigation

An FIR was registered against two named accused and approximately 18 unidentified individuals under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections relating to unlawful assembly, rioting, and assault. Police Inspector Gita Chaudhary confirmed that investigators are examining CCTV footage and recording statements. Six people had been identified through footage so far, and further investigation is under way.

What the Congress Said

GPCC media convener and spokesperson Dr Manish Doshi criticised the alleged confrontation, saying people linked to the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were reportedly involved. He argued the incident was not merely a law-and-order matter but raised deeper concerns about freedom of thought and expression.

'Reading a book is not a crime, thinking is not a crime and asking questions is not sedition. Disagreements in a democracy should be addressed through discussion,' Doshi said. He added, 'A book should be answered with a book, an idea with an idea and a difference of opinion with discussion, not with sticks and mob rule.'

Doshi invoked Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression, and alleged that the RSS-BJP ideology is being deployed for what he described as 'ideological policing.' He claimed opposition to public reading ultimately reflects an anxiety about citizens questioning authority.

Broader Context

The Vastrapur incident is part of a wider pattern of contestation over school curricula and public intellectual spaces in Gujarat. The removal of Yousafzai's and Anne Frank's books from a local school's compulsory list had already drawn national attention before Thursday's confrontation escalated the dispute into a criminal matter. Notably, this is not the first time public readings or literary events in India have drawn organised opposition from groups opposed to specific texts or authors.

With the investigation still active and multiple unidentified accused yet to be traced, the case is likely to remain a flashpoint in Gujarat's political discourse in the days ahead.