Kolkata book fair allots stall to VHP in surprise move

Hours after the Calcutta High Court dismissed a petition by the Vishva Hindu Parishad, seeking a stall at the International Kolkata Book Fair this year, organisers of the fair in a surprise move allotted them a stall on Saturday, under their monthly magazine’s name. On Friday, a single-judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court pronounced a judgement dismissing VHP’s plea for a stall at the book fair. However, on Saturday, vice-president of VHP Dakshinbanga Dilip Kumar Jhawar told The Hindu: “We lost the court battle, but on Saturday, members of the guild informed us that we have been allotted a stall in the name of our monthly publication Visva Hindu Varta.” According to him, Visva Hindu Varta, the monthly magazine of the VHP, is registered under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867. in stall number 249 of the 48th International Kolkata Book Fair, slated to be held from January 28 to February 9 at Boimela Prangan in Kolkata’s Salt Lake.