The Delhi High Court sought the assistance of a senior law officer today before proceeding with a plea for deletion of references to the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya from a book written by former president Pranab Mukherjee.
Justice Valmiki J Mehta appointed Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Acharya as amicus curiae (friend of the court) and listed the matter for further hearing on November 26.
"In order to assist the court to decide on the merits of the appeal, before issuing notice, it would be desirable to appoint ASG Maninder Acharya as amicus curiae as the plea seeks deletion of portions of the book by former president Pranab Mukherjee," the court said.
The development came on a plea moved by some lawyers and a social activist, seeking deletion of references to Babri Masjid demolition from Mukherjee's book, "Turbulent Years 1980-1996", claiming that they hurt Hindu sentiments.
The book was published in 2016, when Mukherjee was the president.
The plaintiffs have approached the high court, challenging the dismissal of their suit by a trial court.
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They have contended that they have only sought the removal of certain "objectionable" portions from the book on the ground that those hurt the Hindu religious sentiments.
In their plea, the plaintiffs have said Mukherjee should not have made such references in the book as the matter was sub-judice.
The high court had, in September last year, called for the trial court's records of the suit after the plaintiffs moved an appeal against the lower court's November 30, 2016 order rejecting their plea to delete certain portions of the book.
The plaintiffs had contended before the trial court that a civil suit could be filed against the president during his tenure in respect of any act done by him in his "personal capacity".
Mukherjee's counsel had opposed the plea, asserting that it was not maintainable.