52-year-old Asthana, a 1986 batch IPS officer from Kerala, has penned down a book "India's Internal Security: The Actual Concerns" along with his wife Anjali Nirmal, who holds a doctorate in police administration, which speaks about his tenure in the Valley during 2010 unrest.
His remarks have been hailed by hardline Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and main opposition in the state PDP.
In an interview to a weekly, Asthana had said "there is a strong under-current against India" and that heavy turn-out in elections or flow of tourists should not be read as return of normalcy in the state.
When contacted, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Home Affairs said, "MHA is siezed of the matter. We are examining the content of the book. If required, action will be taken."
Asthana, who is at present posted as Inspector General of CRPF, looking after anti-naxal unit CoBRA, refused to answer any questions saying that he has written whatever he had, in the book.
"I do not wish to give any interviews or answer any questions," Asthana, who was shunted out from the Valley after CRPF had fired indiscriminately on protestors in Bomai area or Sopore in North Kashmir.
CRPF Director General K Vijay Kumar declined to comment on the controversy. More