Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has denied any involvement in the recent ban on 25 books by the Jammu and Kashmir administration, clarifying that the ban was imposed by the Lieutenant Governor (LG) using the Home Department, the only department under his official control.
The ban, announced on August 5 through a notification issued by the Home Department and signed by Principal Secretary Chandraker Bharti, includes titles such as Azadi by writer-activist Arundhati Roy, The Kashmir Dispute 1947–2012 by note legal practitioner AG Noorani, and Kashmir at the Crossroads and Contested Lands by political scientist Sumantra Bose.
The administration cited concerns that these books promote ‘secessionism and radicalise’ youth by distorting historical facts, glorifying militants, vilifying security forces, and encouraging religious extremism
The banned books, published by prestigious international publishers including Routledge, Oxford University Press, and Stanford University Press, have been forfeited under Section 98 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023.
The notification also invoked sections 152, 196, and 197 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, alleging that the content jeopardizes India’s sovereignty and promotes unlawful activities.
The ban comes just days before the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a plea on August 8 demanding the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir — a region that lost its special constitutional status on August 5, 2019, after the government revoked Article 370 and divided the state into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The ban triggered widespread criticism on social media, with many users blaming Omar Abdullah for the decision.
One user notably posted, “For the rest of your life you will be known as the coward who was scared of books.”
Responding to this on X, Omar Abdullah said, “Get your facts right before you call me a coward, you ignoramus. The ban has been imposed by the LG using the only department he officially controls – the Home Department. I’ve never banned books and I never would.”
On Thursday, Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar said that such moves will not alter historical truths or erase the lived experiences of the Kashmiri people.
