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The Gujarat High Court has set aside the Modi government’s order banning Jaswant Singh’s book on Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah. The court, 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.

Jaswant Singh

The Modi 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.

Happy with the decision, Jaswant Singh declared himself “thrilled” by the High court judgement and told the media that it was a positive reflection on the judiciary since he did not humiliate anyone and could find no reason for banning his book.

The ostracized leader had earlier criticized the ban, saying it amounted to ‘banning thinking’ and likened the step to the one taken against noted author Salman Rushdie for his controversial work ‘Satanic Verses’.

“The day we start banning books, we are banning thinking,” said Singh, who was expelled by BJP. The controversial book lauds the founder of Pakistan and holds India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru and its first home minister Vallabhbhai Patel responsible for the country’s partition in 1947.