New Delhi: Sheikh Abdul Ghani, a senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader in Gwalior, has been charged with “promoting enmity” by the Madhya Pradesh police for selling a book on Article 370 of the constitution, which was recently read down.
According to the Hindustan Times, 74-year-old Ghani, a former BSNL employee, was booked for promoting enmity between different groups under non-bailable section 153-A of the Indian Penal Code on Wednesday (September 4).
“Police got information on Tuesday evening that a person was selling a controversial book at Phoolbagh square and a heavy crowd had gathered in the area. A team from the Padaav police station reached there,” Navneet Bhasin, Gwalior SP, was quoted as saying. “Police found that the book with contents that could promote enmity among people of different castes and religions was being sold by Sheikh Abdul Ghani.”
Article 370 granted special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. On August 5, the Central government decided to revoke that special status and bifurcate the state into two union territories. Ever since the move, J&K has been facing severe restrictions, including a communications blackout in large parts of the Kashmir Valley.
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The book that Ghani was selling was titled Dhara 370 – Setu Ya Surang and authored by Jaswinder Singh, chief of the CPI(M)’s Madhya Pradesh wing. “The book is being sold across the state and it has nothing objectionable in it. The police took action without even reading the contents of the book with a malafide intention,” Singh said at a press conference.
“We will fight against any action in this regard. Nothing is objectionable in this booklet, which I have also gifted to the states CM Kamal Nath ji, Digvijaya Singh ji (senior Congress leader),” he added.
The head of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s social media cell in Madhya Pradesh had posted against the book. “As per the information that we received, the book has objectionable contents against the merger of J-K (Jammu and Kashmir) with India and also against the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and others. Such literature can cause unrest in society,” Lokendra Parashar said.
Madhya Pradesh is ruled by a Congress government.
(With PTI inputs)