VHP Protests Objectionable Poem in Gujarat Magazine’s E-Copy; Poem Not Part of Final Print and Digital Copies

Ahmedabad: A poem by Aziz Tankarvi that triggered objections from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) over alleged hurt to Hindu religious sentiments was included in an earlier draft of the Gujarat government’s Gujarat Deepotsavi Diwali publication but was omitted from the final edition released by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, a government official said on condition of anonymity.

The official further said that around 10,000 printed copies of the annual publication do not contain the poem, nor does the final digital e-copy.

This came after the VHP urged Chief Minister Patel to take action over the poem, alleging that certain verses referring to Lord Ram, Bharat and devotee Meera Bai were objectionable and hurt Hindu religious sentiments.

In a letter dated October 23, 2026, Ashwin Patel, VHP’s Kshetra Mantri for Karnavati, objected to verses referring to Lord Ram, Bharat and devotee Meera Bai in the poem published on page 389 of the draft edition brought out by the state government’s Information Department.

The VHP alleged that the verses were objectionable and amounted to an insult to Hindu faith. It said the publication of such content in a government-issued festive edition was deeply concerning.

The organisation had demanded the immediate removal of the poem, strict action against the author and officials responsible for approving its inclusion, and measures to prevent similar incidents in future government publications. However, it has now emerged that the poem was omitted from the final edition of the publication.

The VHP also called for stricter scrutiny of content before its inclusion in official publications and urged the state government to take prompt action on the matter.

DeshGujarat