Gujarat bans Jaswant Singh’s book that insults Sardar Patel

The Gujarat government late Wednesday decided to ban expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaswant Singh’s controversial book on partition for his criticism of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

“Making any references to Sardar Patel’s role during those critical times without any evidence is an insult to the people of Gujarat, which we will not take lying down,” state government spokesman and Health Minister Jay Narayan Vyas told a news channel.

“Jaswant Singh’s book questions role of Sardar Patel during the partition of India as well as his patriotic spirit. This is an attempt to tarnish the image of Patel who is considered the architect of modern united India,” a statement issued by the state government said.

“It is a bid to defame Patel by distorting historical facts,” it charged.

“So, the state government has decided to ban the book with immediate effect for wider public interest,” it said.

“As per the ban, there cannot be sale, distribution or publication of the book in the state,” it said.

The Gujarat government blamed Jaswant’s book for denigrating the image of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, who was a Gujarati and held in high esteem by people across Gujarat and rest of the India for his role during India’s freedom struggle against the British rulers.

Singh observes in his book that Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel together conceded Pakistan to Jinnah with help from the British.

Patel occupies a pride of place in BJP’s historiography with the party eulogising his tough action for the integration of rebellious Hyderabad and Junagarh with the Union, and contrasting it with the Nehru’s “blunder” in taking the Kashmir issue

Singh was expelled from the party earlier in the day for his book, “Jinnah: India – Partition – Independence”, released Monday.