Madhya Pradesh Minister Vows to Ban Book 'Comparing Hindutva With Daesh Ideology'

State Home Minister and BJP politician Narottam Mishra is known as a strong devotee of Hinduism. He recently lashed out at Indian filmmaker Prakash Jha’s web series Aashram-3 for scenes that allegedly offend Hindu sentiments, and an “objectionable” Dabur company's advertisement that showed a lesbian couple celebrating a Hindu festival.

The State Minister of India's Madhya Pradesh, Narottam Mishra, has said he will consult lawyers to get a book written by senior Congress politician Salman Khurshid banned.

The book - 'Sunrise Over Ayodhya: Nationhood in Our Times - has sparked a political row in Madhya Pradesh as it seems to compare Hindutva (usually seen as an aggressive assertion of some Hindu groups about Hindu beliefs) with terrorist ideology.

During a press meeting, the state minister denounced the book and attempts to divide Hindus or the country.

"Salman Khurshid's book is condemnable. They don't leave an opportunity to divide Hindus into castes or to divide our country ... Was [Congress leader] Rahul Gandhi not the first to go to those who said 'Bharat tere tukde honge' (India will be divided into pieces)? Salman Khurshid is working on the same agenda," Mishra told reporters.

The minister was referring to Kanhaiya Kumar, who recently joined the Congress party. Kumar addressed a rally in Delhi five years ago (when he was a student at Jawaharlal Nehru University). During this event, some students were chanting slogans calling to tear India apart.

Minister Mishra added Khurshid's book to a growing list of content that he has been deemed "objectionable" and said he would like to see it banned. "I will consult law experts in Madhya Pradesh and get this book banned."

Mishra’s list includes a jewellery collection by designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and an ad by Dabur, one of India's biggest consumer brands, both of which have been targeted by BJP politicians in the past two months.

Criticism of the Book

In the book 'Sunrise Over Ayodhya: Nationhood in Our Times', Khurshid has reportedly written: "Sanatan Dharma and classical Hinduism known to sages and saints were being pushed aside by a robust version of Hindutva, (which seems) by all standards a political version similar to the jihadist Islam of groups like Daesh and Boko Haram."

On Thursday, BJP spokesman Gaurav Bhatia said Khurshid's book has hurt the feelings of Hindus and accused Congress party of stoking anti-Hindu sentiments.

Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa has criticised the book and slammed Congress party for having an anti-Sikh mindset.

Taking to Twitter, Sirsa said Khurshid’s book reflects the views of the Congress party.

Congress can never hide its Anti-Sikh mindset. @salman7khurshid’s book is yet another window into their hate-full minds.

Not only does he shamelessly justify the massacre of Sikhs, but he also blames Sikhs for committing Sins! It’s a sin to vote for @INCIndia#SalmanKhurshid pic.twitter.com/XGVBLJLvKZ

— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) November 12, 2021

On Thursday, senior Congress politician Ghulam Nabi Azad too expressed his disapproval of party colleague Khurshid's take in the book, saying that comparing Hindutva with ISIS (Daesh) and Jihadist Islam was factually wrong and an exaggeration.

The Writer-Politician's Clarification

However, Khurshid has clarified that his remark in his new book was on Hindutva and not on Hinduism.

"I don't want to engage [Azad] in an argument because I think he must have said it in a casual moment before he had given it some serious thoughtful consideration. But if he said it, we respect him for what he says, he is a senior person, but it will not make me change my mind," Khurshid said.

He explained that his point of comparison was on distorting religion. "I have not called these guys terrorists. I have just said they are both distorting religion. Hindutva has pushed aside 'Sanatan Dharma' and Hinduism and it has taken over a robust, aggressive position similar to Boko Haram and those other guys," he said.

The 'Sanatan Dharma' is a set of duties or religious practices incumbent upon all Hindus.

A police complaint has reportedly been filed against Khurshid in Delhi.

"We received a complaint on Thursday but we are verifying the allegations made by the complainant. Action will be taken according to the law," a police official said.

Khurshid's book, based on the Ayodhya verdict was released on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court of India on 9 November 2019 passed an order over the disputed land (2.77 acres) in Indian city Ayodhya that it should be handed over to a trust (to be created by Federal Government) to build the Ram Janmabhoomi (revered as the birthplace of Hindu deity, Ram) temple.

The court also ordered the federal government to give an alternative five acres of land in another place to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board for the purpose of building a mosque as a replacement for the demolished Babri Masjid.

* Daesh (aka ISIL, ISIS) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia and other countries8777777777