Urge Russia to remove ban on Gita

BANGALORE: State BJP president K S Eshwarappa urged the Central government to pressure the Russian government on lifting the ban of Bhagavad Gita in a province of the country.Speaking at a meeting organised by International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) titled “Ban of Bhagavad Gita in Russia” on Wednesday, he said that a Russian court has deferred its verdict till December 28 on the demand for banning the Hindu scripture. “Should the court favour the ban, Gita lovers not only in the nation, but across the globe will oppose it,” he said.Adding that India treats all religions with equal respect, Eshwarappa urged the Russian government to respect their sentiments.Varada Krishna Dasa of ISKCON, while stating that they have been supplying copies of the sacred text to Russia for the last 30 years, expressed apprehension at the sudden scepticism to the book. Former minister Mumtaz Ali Khan, who was also present, said that he too has a copy of the Gita, which he reads often. “There are so many things to learn from it,” he said.