The official order invokes Section 98 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, declaring all 25 titles “forfeited”.

It further states that the content of these books “excites secessionism and endangers the sovereignty and integrity of India”, thus attracting provisions under Sections 152, 196 and 197 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The decision has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties and civil society.

Author Nilanjana Roy called it a “spectacularly ill-advised move”, this “book ban to advertise your insecurities”. Her post on X suggested the notification provided, in effect, a “brilliantly curated reading list on Kashmir” (words that were struck through but left quite readable in the post).