I’ve never banned books & never will: Omar blames L-G Sinha

The controversy over the banning of 25 books in Jammu and Kashmir, some written by prominent authors, refuses to die down with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah now saying Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, not him, had banned these books.

Responding to a social media user who blamed Omar on X for the ban on the books, Omar replied, “Get your facts right before you call me a coward you ignoramus. The ban has been imposed by the L-G using the only department he officially controls — the Home Department. I’ve never banned books and I never will”.

Tagging Omar, the user wrote, “Unban the books. Unban the books. For the rest of your life, you will be known as the coward who was scared of books. Unban the books.”

Omar also attached the order for the ban on the books that stated “by order of the L-G”.

On August 5, the J&K administration banned the books, including those by prominent authors like Arundhati Roy and AG Noorani, for allegedly propagating false narrative and promoting secessionism in the UT. A notification by the Home Department of J&K read, “The identified 25 books have been found to incite secessionism and endanger sovereignty and integrity of India”. The notification stated that the books needed to be declared as “forfeited” in terms of Section 98 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

Several leaders, including PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, had slammed the ban on the books, stating that democracy thrived on the free exchange of ideas. “Banning books cannot erase history, it only fuels division. In Kashmir, suppressing democratic voices and fundamental freedoms deepens alienation and mistrust,” she had stated.

The Kashmir police have launched an enforcement drive across the districts in the Valley in which the books, which allegedly glorify terrorism and distort historical facts, will be seized. The police have warned bookshop owners not to keep the banned literature.