The Congress on Monday distanced itself from former Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s statement that the banning of Salman Rushdie’s controversial novel ‘The Satanic Verses’ by the Rajiv Gandhi Government was wrong.
Describing Chidambaram’s remark as his personal view, senior Congress leader Kamal Nath said, “No question of a single person puncturing party’s stand. Congress’ stand is clear. Today what the country is confronted with is an assault on harmony,” he said.
“That is Chidambaram’s own view,” the former Parliamentary Affairs Minister said while replying to a query. Chidambaram had on Saturday said the decision of the Rajiv Gandhi Government to ban Rushdie’s book ‘The Satanic Verses’ was wrong.
At the AICC briefing senior Congress leaders Pl Punia said the book was not banned in India. “The import was banned. Import of that book was banned, not the book itself was banned and the publisher after consultation with the then Consulting Editor (late) Khushwant Singh, decided not to print in India. So, there is no question of banning or no question of casting aspersion on the decision taken by the then Government. Chidambaram is a very senior leader and he was part of the Government then,” said Punia, also a Rajya Sabha member.