The counter-intelligence unit of the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday arrested three publishers in a case linked to the circulation of two books that allegedly contained “pro-separatist content”, reported PTI.

The arrests came a week after the administration in the Union Territory suspended eight officials and terminated a contractual employee from service following protests by the Bharatiya Janata Party against the content of the books.

The books – Personalities and Legends of J&K by Hilal Ahmed and Santosh Meena and Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir by Dr Sushant Giri – were also withdrawn from school libraries.

On Sunday, the police arrested Inderpaul Singh from Oberoi Book Service, and Amardeep Singh and Girish Arora from the Noida-based Dominant Publishers.

The role of the publishers in the distribution of books deemed to contain “highly inappropriate content” was being investigated, unidentified officials were quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

While 123 copies of one book were distributed to the Jammu, Ramban and Udhampur districts, 128 copies of the other book were sent to the Jammu and Baramulla districts, reported PTI.

On July 4, the police had registered a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections pertaining to abetment of an offence, criminal conspiracy, endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, promoting enmity and disharmony, publishing or circulating false statements, rumours or reports, as well as the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

Both Oberoi Book Service and Dominant Publishers were also blacklisted by the government, according to the news agency.

On July 6, the counter-intelligence unit of the police conducted raids at premises linked to the publication houses, reported The Indian Express.

Content of the books and protests

The book Personalities and Legends of J&K contained a detailed passage on Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front founder Maqbool Bhat, who was hanged in 1984 for seeking independence for Kashmir.

An official spokesperson was quoted as saying by The Hindu that the inclusion of the reference reflected “serious negligence, dereliction of duty and lack of proper due diligence”.

The books were supplied to school libraries as part of the Samagra Shiksha education

The BJP had protested against this, with Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma accusing the Union Territory’s National Conference government of promoting “academic jihad”.

“This is not history or education,” Sharma said. “This is academic subversion. It is academic jihad against India. The book attempts to revive separatist ideology among the youth.”

Soon after, the Jammu and Kashmir government directed heads of public and recognised private schools, as well as coaching centres in the Kashmir division, to review all books on their premises for “inappropriate or objectionable content”.

The heads of institutions had also been instructed to submit certificates to their respective chief or zonal education officers confirming that no book on campus contains any “objectionable material”.

Edited by Sara Varghese.