Gujarat High Court Lifts ban on Jaswant Singh’s book on Jinnah

The Gujarat High Court has set aside the Modi government’s order banning Jaswant Singh’s book on Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah. A full-bench comprising Chief Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan, Justice Akil Kureshi and Justice K.M. Thaker, hearing a public interest petition, ruled against the ban.

The ban curtails fundamental rights, the high court said.

The Gujarat government had banned the expelled BJP leader’s book ‘Jinnah — India, Partition, Independence’. The state government claimed the contents of the book tarnished Sardar Patel’s image.

The government alleged the book was an attempt to defame the image of the country’s first home minister Vallabhbhai Patel by “questioning his patriotic spirit”.

“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 had said.

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