Controversy over removal of books from government libraries reaches Assembly and High Court

A political controversy has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir over the removal of thousands of books from government libraries, which has now reached the Legislative Assembly and the High Court. In response to a question from Awami Ittehad Party MLA Sheikh Khurshid, the Education Department provided information in the Assembly stating that approximately 21,81,582 books and other publications were inspected in the state.

During this inspection, 4,812 books were removed from library circulation. This number includes copies of 518 books, of which 19 titles were already banned under S.O. Additionally, 4,249 other books were removed after objectionable content was found during the review. In this inspection, 12,48,641 books were inspected in the Kashmir division and 9,32,941 books in the Jammu division.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while making a statement on the matter, said that under the current system, the elected government has no right to impose bans on books or remove them. The opposition has raised questions against the government on this issue, causing the matter to become entangled in questions regarding government authority, the role of the review committee, and freedom of expression.

Omar Farooq Abdullah has been serving as the Chief Minister of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory since 2024. He also serves as the Leader of the House in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. Previously, he served as the 8th Chief Minister of the state from 2009 to 2014 and is the Vice President of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference. He also represented Srinagar as a Member of the Lok Sabha from 1998 to 2009.