Supreme Court Dismisses Challenge to 'The Satanic Verses' Ban Review

The Supreme Court declined to hear a plea to ban Salman Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses', upheld by the Delhi High Court. The plea contested the court's decision, claiming the book’s availability is due to an order. The book was banned in India in 1988 for inciting blasphemy.

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction to ban Salman Rushdie's controversial novel ''The Satanic Verses''. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta heard the plea and chose not to intervene.

The petitioners' counsel referred to a November ruling from the Delhi High Court, which had closed proceedings on a petition challenging the ban on the import of the novel, originally imposed by the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1988. The high court had stated that the absence of any notification implied it did not exist.

During the hearing, the bench remarked that the plea was effectively challenging the Delhi High Court's judgment, leading to its dismissal. The book remains banned in India for its perceived blasphemous content by Muslims worldwide.