Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses Returns To Delhi Bookstores After 36 Years, Big Row Erupts

Last Updated:December 26, 2024, 10:24 IST

The book was banned by the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1988 after outrage over it as parts of it were considered blasphemous.

Satanic Verses was banned by the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1988 after outrage over it as parts of it were considered blasphemous. (Image: Shutterstock)

The go-ahead by Delhi High Court to release Satanic Verses, the controversial book written by Salman Rushdie, has stirred the political pot. The book was banned by the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1988 as parts of it were considered blasphemous. It was considered to be a knee-jerk and regressive step by the Rajiv Gandhi government after the Shah Bano case.

The book was released in the UK on September 26, 1988, and was banned in India on October 5, 1988. As per reports, then Penguin India director Khushwant Singh had received and read an advance copy. He reportedly wrote a letter to Rajiv Gandhi asking him to proscribe the book. What followed was outrage over the book and protests.

The Rajiv Gandhi govt had justified saying that the book was not banned but its import was stopped. This failed to placate his critics.

Following the High Court verdict, the controversy over the book is back. Questions are being raised about the ‘ban’ as the book is now freely available and selling well at bookstores.

Advisor to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry Kanchan Gupta said “It is very apt that the book appearing in Indian bookshops for the first time should coincide with the birth centenary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee."

“Atal Ji used to say: ‘The answer to a book you don’t like is a book you would endorse; the answer does not lie in either burning a book or proscribing it’," Gupta added.

The Congress has said it is wrong to blame Rajiv Gandhi. “There are sensitivities which are what we need to be mindful of. But we never banned the book, only imports were stopped," said the party in a statement.

The timing of the court order has also coincided with the recent developments. Post the injury on two BJP MPs after allegedly being pushed by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, the BJP carried 1984 bags in Parliament to make the point that the Congress has a history of being violent and curbing freedom. In fact, each time the Congress questions the government on constitutional rights being threatened, the BJP reminds it of Emergency.

This release of Satanic Verses has once again given the BJP the chance to point a finger at the Congress and question the Gandhis and the Congress on their claims that only they can protect freedom and Constitution.

It also gives the BJP the chance to accuse the Congress of appeasing the minorities for a few votes.

Meanwhile, opposition to the book being available in public has already begun. Maulana Kaab Rashidi, legal advisor for the Uttar Pradesh unit of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind (AM), said that religious sentiments cannot be hurt under the garb of freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution.

“If freedom of expression hurts someone’s sentiments, it is a legal offence. ‘The Satanic Verses’ is a blasphemous book. Selling such a controversial book under the pretext of freedom of expression cannot be accepted in any form. It goes against the spirit of the Constitution," he said.

Maulana Yasub Abbas, general secretary of the All India Shia Personal Law Board, also criticised the availability of the book. “There is talk of lifting the ban after 36 years. On behalf of the Shia Personal Law Board, I appeal to the Indian government to ensure the ban remains firmly in place," he said. “The book mocks Islamic views, insults Prophet Muhammad and his companions, and hurts sentiments. Allowing its sale poses a threat to the country’s harmony. I urge the prime minister to impose a complete ban on this book in India," he said.

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