Communists call for violence in Jammu and Kashmir: CPM leader booked for selling anti-national booklet on the abrogation of Article 370

The Madhya Pradesh Police has booked a Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader for selling a booklet, on the abrogation of Article 370, titled ‘Dhara 370 – Setu Ya Surang’. The booklet was being sold at a protest organised by the Muslim Adhikar Manch in Gwalior on Tuesday.

On the basis of a complaint, a case has been registered against the CITU (CPM’s trade union) leader Sheikh Ghani (64), at Padav Police Station on Wednesday, PTI reported. He was charged under IPC section 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot).

“We stopped the sale of this booklet after the complaint,” a police officer told the news agency. The officer claimed that some parts of the booklet are objectionable. Authored by CPM state secretary Jaswinder Singh, the booklet was published by Bhopal-based Lokjatan Prakashan.

“We will fight against any action in this regard. Nothing is objectionable in this booklet, which I have also gifted to the states CM Kamal Nath ji, Digvijaya Singh ji (senior Congress leader),” the author of the book and CPM state secretary claimed in a press conference on Wednesday.

Singh said that the book describes why Article 370 is important for Jammu and Kashmir. He also claimed that so far 15,000 copies of the booklet have been sold in the state.

However, several political leaders and social media activists argue that the book contains certain objectionable remarks. “Several objectionable comments were made about Maharaja of Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir Hari Singh and also against the nationalist forces,” BJP’s state media in-charge Lokendra Parashar told PTI.