Omar Abdullah SRINAGAR: J&K CM Omar Abdullah said Wednesday his elected govt had no role in deciding which books are banned or withdrawn from libraries, distancing his administration from the removal of 4,249 books after a screening of more than 21 lakh volumes across the Union territory over the past two months.“I have my own views on whether books should be banned or not. But unfortunately, in the current system we in the elected govt don’t get to decide these things,” Omar said. “Then we will take a fresh look at what’s happening,” he said, referring to a future change in the administrative set-up.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesHome department, which handles law and order and security in the Union territory, reports directly to lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha. Omar did not clarify whether the book-removal order came from home department or education department under elected govt.A year ago, home department banned 25 books on Kashmir for allegedly promoting “a false narrative”, “secessionism” and “anti-national” views. The total number of banned and withdrawn books swelled to 518 since then.Omar’s remarks came after Hurriyat Conference chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq questioned who decided that thousands of books, including almost 4,000 from the Kashmir region, were objectionable and demanded that their titles and reasons for removal be made public. Writing on X, he asked: “By withdrawing these books whose agenda is the elected govt implementing, its own or someone else’s?”Farooq held Omar govt responsible because education department and universities separately ordered in July screening of all new and old books in offices, classrooms, staff rooms and libraries for “objectionable content” after home department withdrew two volumes it called “highly inappropriate”. More than 21 lakh books were screened and over 4,000 titles removed from libraries since the orders were issued, education minister Sakina Itoo told the assembly Tuesday.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosCEC, ECs And The Power To Decide: What Happens When Election Commissioners Disagree?ECI’s ERONET Controversy: Voter Database Row, Software Errors & 17.6 Million Notices Raise QuestionsJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court
SRINAGAR: J&K CM Omar Abdullah said Wednesday his elected govt had no role in deciding which books are banned or withdrawn from libraries, distancing his administration from the removal of 4,249 books after a screening of more than 21 lakh volumes across the Union territory over the past two months.“I have my own views on whether books should be banned or not. But unfortunately, in the current system we in the elected govt don’t get to decide these things,” Omar said. “Then we will take a fresh look at what’s happening,” he said, referring to a future change in the administrative set-up.
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Home department, which handles law and order and security in the Union territory, reports directly to lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha. Omar did not clarify whether the book-removal order came from home department or education department under elected govt.A year ago, home department banned 25 books on Kashmir for allegedly promoting “a false narrative”, “secessionism” and “anti-national” views. The total number of banned and withdrawn books swelled to 518 since then.Omar’s remarks came after Hurriyat Conference chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq questioned who decided that thousands of books, including almost 4,000 from the Kashmir region, were objectionable and demanded that their titles and reasons for removal be made public. Writing on X, he asked: “By withdrawing these books whose agenda is the elected govt implementing, its own or someone else’s?”Farooq held Omar govt responsible because education department and universities separately ordered in July screening of all new and old books in offices, classrooms, staff rooms and libraries for “objectionable content” after home department withdrew two volumes it called “highly inappropriate”. More than 21 lakh books were screened and over 4,000 titles removed from libraries since the orders were issued, education minister Sakina Itoo told the assembly Tuesday.
