Meanwhile, Maharashtra's home minister RR Patil claimed that Oxford University Press has promised not to re-print the book and has collected all copies from the market.
The government announced on the first day of the assembly’s monsoon session, Monday, that it will introduce a law by the next session to prevent literature defaming public figures from being published.
The decision has been taken in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s verdict lifting the ban on the controversial book, ‘Shivaji: A Hindu King in Islamic India’, by US-based author James Laine. The legislative assembly also passed a resolution condemning Laine for his derogatory remarks against the Maratha emperor and his mother Jijabai.
The opposition brought an adjournment motion in both the houses over Laine’s book. In the ensuing discussion, home minister RR Patil said that the government will amend the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to ban defamatory literature. “Section 153 (a) of the CrPC deals with the act of spreading hatred among religions and communities, but the new amendment will enable the government to deal with indecent and scurrilous literature, and will entail stern punishment. The government wants to undertake the amendment on the lines of an existing law in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
A three-member committee has been formed in this regard, and will comprise home secretary Chandra Iyengar, the law secretary, and the advocate general.
Patil also said that the publishers of Laine’s book have stopped printing copies since 2003. “Oxford Publishers has collected all the copies of the book from the market and deposited them in the court. It has also promised not to re-print the book. Laine, too, has tendered an apology and has promised he will not use the defamatory remarks in any part of the world,” Patil said.
Patil appealed that all the parties should unanimously join the government in condemning Laine. Deputy speaker of the assembly, Madhukar Chavan, later announced that the resolution was passed unanimously.
But the opposition was in no mood to let the issue rest. Leader of the opposition, Eknath Khadse, said, “It was a BJP-led NDA government that renamed Mumbai’s international airport after Chhatrapati Shivaji, and also ensured that his bust is installed in the Lok Sabha. But when the time comes to take firm action on such issues, the Congress-led governments give in,” he said.
Khadse alleged that weak representation in the SC led to the lifting of the ban. “Though the government has claimed that Oxford has withdrawn copies from the market, what will happen if its rights are sold to another publisher,” he asked.
Shiv Sena’s Diwakar Raote said the ban has been lifted as the Constitution provides for equality, but the law is not applicable to Laine as he is not an Indian. NCP’s Vinayak Mete and PWP’s Jayant Patil demanded punishment for those who gave wrong information to Laine.
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