West Bengal govt. bans English, vernacular dailies from state libraries

Kolkata, Mar 28 (ANI): A circular, issued by the West Bengal government, has banned English and Bengali dailies at state-sponsored and aided libraries in the state.

The state government's move has evoked severe criticism from Trinamool ally Congress, the Left parties and also the intelligentsia, which deem the decision to be "undemocratic, undesirable and worse than censorship." They demanded immediate withdrawal of the order.

As per the order issued by the Department of mass education extension and library services, purchase of newspapers/dailies by the public libraries shall be restricted to Sangbad Pratidin, Sakalbela, Khabar 365 din, Ekdin, Dainik Statesman (all Bengali), Sanmarg (Hindi) and Akhbar-E-Mashriq and Azad Hind (both Urdu dailies).

Defending its decision and ruling out withdrawal of the circular, the state government said that the order had been issued in accordance with its policy.

The circular also mentions that government fund will not be spent for purchase of any newspaper or daily published or purported to be published by any political party in any public library in the state. (ANI)