Page "Joseph Lelyveld" Paragraph 11

Politicians in India have generally and across the political spectrum denounced the book and demanded it be banned as being allegedly defamatory, with the Government of Gujarat under Narendra Modi banning the book as " perverse in nature ... hurting the sentiments of those with capacity for sane and logical thinking ," and demanding a " public apology " from Lelyveld, and with Federal Law Minister Veerappa Moily of the Governments of India and Industries Minister Narayan Rane of the Government of Maharashtra promising to ban it.

There have also been demands for an apology from Lelyveld and demands to have him prosecuted.

Liberal commentators and some Gandhi kin have taken umbrage against the backlash against Lelyveld and opposed moves to ban the book.

Gandhi's great grandson Tushar Gandhi said a ban of the book would be a " greater insult " to Gandhi than that book or the author might have intended, saying, " How does it matter if the Mahatma was straight, gay or bisexual?

Every time he would still be the man who led India to freedom.

" He also promised to mount a legal challenge to any such ban of the book.

Lelyveld himself denounced the calls for the ban on his book.