25 banned books radicalised Kashmiri youth: BJP’s G L Raina

Srinagar, Aug 14: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson in Jammu & Kashmir, Girdhari Lal Raina, on Thursday welcomed the administration’s decision of the forfeiture and banning of 25 books identified as propagating secessionism, glorifying terrorism, and undermining national integrity, saying the move was rooted in a detailed content review and credible intelligence inputs.“These inputs revealed that the banned literature systematically distorts historical facts, vilifies security forces, and promotes violence, with investigations establishing their dangerous influence on impressionable youth,” he said in a statement issued here.Raina said that decades of conflict in Jammu & Kashmir have been fueled by propaganda machinery that falsifies history, manufactures grievances, and romanticises terrorism. “Such material is not merely opinion but a strategic tool used to implant a victimhood and heroism culture, which fuels radicalisation among Kashmiri youth,” he said.The former MLC said the move has elicited predictable opposition from individuals and groups invoking free speech. Raina clarified that Article 19 of the Indian Constitution allows for reasonable restrictions on free speech in the interest of sovereignty, security, and public order. Promoting secessionism or violence under the guise of free expression is unconstitutional and unacceptable, he said.The BJP spokesperson also took a swipe at critics who have historically opposed bans on literature critical of previous regimes, citing examples such as the Genocide of Hindus in Kashmir, Lajja, Gandhi Vadh Kyon, and works by Ram Swarup, Salman Rushdie, and Taslima Nasrin. “Even films, serials, and songs critical of past authorities were banned on questionable grounds, contrasting this with the current ban’s rationale,” he said.Raina criticised what he called “selective outrage”, saying the real motive behind opposing the ban is an attempt to preserve a narrative monopoly. “Such hypocrisy undermines constitutional morality and threatens national security,” he said, adding, “The ban is a necessary step to prevent the spread of divisive and violent propaganda.”