CALCUTTA, May 26: The Metropolitan Magistrate Court has issued summons to the State Minister for Higher Education Satya Sadhan Chakraborty with two others in a defamation case filed against them by the West Bengal BJP.Chakraborty, with one Nirmal Kanti Ghosh, in their book Rashtriya Bigyaner Ruprekha (a book on political science) described the BJP as `Hindu version of Hitler's Nazi party.'
Incidentally, the book was prescribed for the students of class X and XII in West Bengal.
During the hearing of the petition today, the state BJP president Tapan Sikdar told the court that the statements in the book were not only false but were intended to `defame the party.'
Sikdar prayed to the court to take note of the fact that the authors drew a `parallel between the Nazi Hitler and the BJP'. Sikdar said this was done to `create a feeling of hatred in the tender minds of students and malign party's reputation.' At the end of the hearing the court has issued summons to the state Higher Education Minister SatyaSadhan Chakraborty, co-author Nirmal Kanti Ghosh and publisher of the book, Sree Bhumi Publishers.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
