A Lucknow court has ordered that an FIR be registered against senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid for comparing the ‘Sanatan’ Hindu religion with the Boko Haram and ISIS terror outfits in his book titled ‘Sunrise Over Ayodhya: Nationhood in our times’.
Since November, the book has faced backlash from Bharatiya Janata Party and Hindu Sena leaders. Two lawyers, Vineet Jindal and Raj Kishore, had also sought a ban on Khurshid’s book saying it could disrupt public peace. But, the Delhi High Court had refused to ban the book.
On Wednesday, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Shantanu Tyagi ordered the police to lodge an FIR within three days based on a complaint from an Uttar Pradesh resident Shubhangi Tyagi.
She has alleged that certain portions of the book hurt religious feelings of Hindus. She has also said that an application was moved to the police station for registering an FIR against Khurshid. Since the police did not act on her request, she filed a plea in court.
“From a perusal of the application and the arguments raised in its support, I am of the opinion that cognisable offences are made out against Salman Khurshid,” the magistrate said.
Earlier, The Congress leader’s book which was released in November created a huge controversy over the comment made in the chapter titled ‘The Saffron Sky’. On page number 113 of the book.
“Sanatan Dharma and classical Hinduism known to sages and saints were being pushed aside by a robust version of Hindutva, by all standards a political version similar to the jihadist Islam of groups like ISIS and Boko Haram of recent years,” the contents of the book read.
Several BJP leaders had heavily criticised Khurshid for his comments in his book.
The Congress leader’s book reportedly explored the Supreme Court’s historic judgement on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case.
Notably, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had also said that equating Hindutva to ISIS and Boko Haram is factually wrong and exaggerated.
Meanwhile, in November, the Delhi High Court dismissed a petition that had sought direction to stop the circulation, sale, purchase, and publication of the book ‘Sunrise Over Ayodhya’. Responding to the plea, Justice Yashwant Varma expressed his displeasure over people’s sensitivity and had urged them to not buy the book if hurt.
