Bhagavad Gita As It Is Ban Case Dismissed In Russian Court

Bhagavad Gita As It Is

On 28 December 2011, the court in the Siberian city of Tomsk dismissed the state prosecutor's stand that the "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" be branded as an "extremist" literature. The case had been going on in the Tomsk city court since June 2011. The judge, after reviewing the petition from the state prosecutors and the responses against it, dismissed the plea. The Government of India and the Russian Embassy in India took up the matter with the Russian Government.

It shall be recalled that the court case in Tomsk sparked international outrage as the Prosecutor's Office filed the case in court demanding to include the Russian edition of "Bhagavad-gita As It Is", translated and commented upon by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhpada, in the Justice Ministry's list of banned extremist literature. All over the world the followers of Hinduism, as well as representatives of other religions, protested against the very idea of taking the Holy Scripture to court.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), founded by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami has been distributing this translation of Bhagavad-gita for over 45 years. In her recent message addressed to the Russian followers of ISKCON Honorable President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Patil writes, "Over the past few decades ISKCON has played an important role in popularizing the noble and eternal message of Srimad Bhagavad Gita, and promoting spiritual harmony in many foreign lands."

ISKCON expresses its gratitude towards the Government of India, Government of Russia, all the members of the Indian Parliament including the Indian External Affairs Minister Shri SM Krishna, Indian Ambassador to Russia Shri Ajay Kumar Malhotra and the Russian Ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin. ISKCON would also like to thank the print and electronic media, people of India and its devotees worldwide for their enthusiastic and continuous support during this trial.

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