HC to hear plea against ex-President's book on May 24

The Delhi High Court on Monday said it will hear on May 24 a plea seeking removal of "objectionable matter" from a book authored by former President Pranab Mukherjee, which allegedly "hurts Hindu sentiments".

Justice Najmi Waziri asked the petitioners to clarify whether their petition was filed in the trial court as a suit and adjourned the matter for next month.

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

On April 6, another Delhi High Court judge had recused herself from hearing the plea against the book by the former President.

The plea, filed by a group of social workers and lawyers through counsel Vishnu Shankar Jain, states 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 had read the book minutely and thoroughly, and said that some recitals were "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 Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya.

--IANS

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