Ban Salman Khurshid's new book for comparing RSS with ISIS: Plea in Delhi High Court

A petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the publication, circulation, sale and purchase of the new book of former Law Minister Salman Khurshid ‘Sunrise Over Ayodhya: Nationhood in Our Times’, where he allegedly compares the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to ISIS and Boko Haram (Vineet Jindal v. Salman Khurshid and Ors).

The petition, filed by Delhi-based lawyer Vineet Jindal through advocate Raj Kishore Choudhary, argued that Khurshid is a Member of Parliament and former Law Minister of the country with a large influence. Therefore, the statement made in the book will agitate the Hindu community. This in turn will threaten the security, peace and harmony in the country and has the potential to disrupt public order, the plea stated.

The controversial paragraph of the book, which has been reproduced in the petition, reads,

“Sanatan dharma and classical Hinduism known to sages and saints was being pushed aside by a robust version of Hindutva, by all standards a political version similar to jihadist Islam of groups likes ISIS and Boko Haram of recent years.”

The petition added that the freedom of expression is a “complex right” which is not absolute, and is subject to certain restrictions.

“So, in a country like India, which is perpetually on a communal tinderbox, where religious sentiments run deep, where respect for certain public and historical figures always come accompanied with veneration for their demi-god 9 status, it doesn’t take much for malice to be coated with a toxic communal hue based on the contents of the book,” the petition stated.

The plea is likely to be heard on Tuesday, November 16.