The Gujarat government has removed a poem from the online version of its annual Diwali publication after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad alleged it contained “objectionable” references to Lord Ram and Bhakti saint Meera Bai , a VHP leader said.
The VHP wrote to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on October 23, demanding the immediate removal of the composition and strict action against the author and officials responsible for approving it.
The organisation also sought action against the officials who approved the poem and called for a review of authors’ previous works before their works are included in government publications. It further demanded that future government publications feature authors who have a positive outlook towards the nation, religion and culture. The online version of ‘Gujarat Deepotsavi Ank’ is available on the official website of the Gujarat government’s Commissionerate of Information.
The VHP said the inclusion of such a composition in a government publication was particularly disturbing as Diwali is associated with Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya after completing 14 years of exile.
“We are glad that the state government promptly responded to our request and removed that controversial poem from the Diwali magazine ,” Rajput said.
