Mumbai: Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked Government of India to consider the option of the country being represented before a court in Russia to defend the Bhagwad Gita, the holy Hindu scripture which is facing a ban there.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Roshan Dalvi also asked the Centre to inform the court about what action it has initiated to monitor the issue on the next date of hearing on January 9 next.

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The court was hearing a public interest litigation seeking the government`s intervention in the case before the Russian court where a ban on Bhagwad Gita has been demanded. The petitioners have quoted newspaper reports that a ban has been sought on Gita in a Tomsk courtin Siberia dubbing it as a literature spreading social discord.

Beni Chatterji, counsel for the Central government, informed the court that S M Krishna, Minister of External Affairs, had made a statement that the ministry is monitoring the case. M I Sethna, counsel for the petitioners, however, said that the government is just monitoring and has asked Iskcon to defend the literature there. "It is a grave insult to our culture. Instead of asking Iskcon to defend, the government should defend the Gita," Sethna said.

The PIL states that Gita is a sacred text and attempts to ban it would have far-reaching implications not only in India but also internationally. It contends that the subject concerned not just the Indians in Russia, but had world-wide significance. Any failure on Indian government`s part to intervene, supported by in-depth research, scholastic views and analysis, would cause irretrievable damage to the country`s and rich culture and heritage, the petition contends.

PTI