HC recuses to hear plea on ex-President's book

A Delhi High Court Judge on Friday recused herself from hearing a plea for reming "objectionable matter" from a book written by former President Pranab Mukherjee on the ground that "they have hurt Hindu sentiments".

Justice Pratibha M. Singh, who has earlier in the day issued notice to Mukherjee on the plea against his book 'Turbulent Years 1980-1996', later withdrew the order and recused herself from hearing the plea.

The court transferred the matter to a Division Bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal, which will take up the matter on April 9.

The court was hearing the petition that challenged a trial court order rejecting the plea to delete certain portions from the book.

The plea has been filed by a group of social workers and lawyers through counsel Vishnu Shankar Jain that the "book has given wrong facts and lowered the dignity and prestige of Hindus and the nation by making unfounded aspersions".

"Pass a decree declaring those facts... are false and contemptuous... and against the religious sentiments of the plaintiffs and Hindu devotees in general... the same is uncalled for, malicious and based on political considerations and are liable to be deleted from the book," the petition said.

The petitioners sought a permanent injunction to restrain the book's publisher from selling and publishing it without first deleting the objectionable portions.

The petitioners claimed they have read the book minutely and thoroughly, and said that some recitals are "contemptuous and lower the dignity of judiciary".

The petition further said that "some facts are based on the author's prejudice, based on his political ideologies, and even incorrect facts have been given therein intentionally to criticise and demoralise Hindu organisations and supporters of the Ram Janambhoomi temple in Ayodhya.

"The author has tried to establish against record that the building complex was a mosque without caring about the court proceedings," the petition said.

The petitioners said: "... the author has tried to convey to the people that the judicial order was passed for opening of the locks of the temple complex due to an error of judgement of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and conveyed that the judicial orders in India are passed under the influence of political masters and executive pressures".

--IANS

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