There can be little disagreement that books meant for school libraries should not glorify terrorists, separatists, or violence. If publications supplied to government schools in Jammu and Kashmir contain praise for figures such as Hafiz Saeed or portray convicted terrorists as martyrs, they have no place on library shelves. The government’s decision to withdraw such books and enquire into how they were procured is, therefore, entirely justified.

The larger question, however, is whether the controversy warrants the invocation of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and sweeping allegations of a vast conspiracy. The books in question were not prescribed textbooks but supplementary library acquisitions. An inquiry should certainly determine how they were selected, approved, and........

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