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On Friday, the Calcutta High Court upheld the decision of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild to deny the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) a stall at the 2024 Kolkata Book Fair. The Guild, which organizes the event annually, stated that VHP, as an organization and not a registered publisher, did not qualify under their guidelines for stall allocation. In 2024, the Guild passed a resolution specifying that only registered publishers would be eligible for stalls, a rule that was strictly applied in this case.
The VHP had been allocated stalls at the Book Fair in previous years, but in light of the new resolution, their request was denied. The organization raised concerns about potential political interference and suggested that the state government’s influence might have played a role in the denial. However, Justice Amrita Sinha, in her ruling, clarified that the decision was entirely made by the Guild and had no connection to the state government. The court emphasized that the Guild, as the organizer of the event, had the discretion to determine the criteria for stall allocation.
The Guild explained that the 2024 resolution was designed to ensure that only registered publishers could participate, as part of an effort to focus the event on the publishing industry. The Publishers Guild confirmed that this policy applied to all organizations uniformly, without exceptions. Justice Sinha affirmed the Guild’s position, stating that the court could not intervene in the Guild’s decision-making process. The VHP's claim was dismissed, with the court finding no legal grounds to challenge the Guild's authority or decision.