HC seeks publisher's response on reference to Bhindranwale as 'terrorist' in book

The Bombay High Court has sought the response of Balbharti, the publisher of school textbooks, on a petition seeking deletion of a chapter in a history textbook in which separatist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale is referred to as a "terrorist".

A division bench headed by Justice Anoop Mohta gave the response earlier this week while hearing a petition filed by city resident Amritpalsingh Khalsa.

In his petition, Khalsa alleged that the Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbooks Production and Curriclum Research (better known as Balbharti) is spreading a "vicious propaganda" by calling Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale a "terrorist".

He sought a direction to Balbharti to delete the reference to Bhindranwale as "terrorist", in a chapter in the history textbook of Class IX.
 

The petition has also sought a direction to Balbharti to tender an apology to the Sikh community for allegedly hurting their religious sentiments and direct the police to register a criminal complaint against the education body.

The high court has posted the petition for further hearing after four weeks.

Khalistani leader Bhindranwale was killed during Operation Bluestar in 1984.