BJP writes to Medvedev condemning ban on Gita

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday sent a letter to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev condemning the likely ban on Bhagavad Gita by a Siberian city court.The letter by Overseas Friends of BJP, copies of which were sent to the media, said a ban on the Hindu scripture will hurt the sentiments of millions of Hindus all over the world.“Gita preaches self-discipline. It is a book with sublime thoughts and practical directions on yoga, action and devotion. It does not promote extremism,” the letter said.It urged the Russian government to intervene and ensure the dismissal of the case in a court in Tomsk city of Siberia, where the case has been going on since June. “We consider Russia to be a friendly country.India and Russia have for decades cooperated in the field of science and technology, education, defence, space technology, nuclear power, trade, business, history and culture,” it added.The letter was presented to the deputy ambassador of Russia in New Delhi. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna had on Tuesday told parliament that the government was aware of the case in the Tomsk court and that it had been in touch with the Russian authorities to resolve the issue.