Have been in touch with Indian embassy in Moscow: Iskcon

He also said that a letter was written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s office just days before his recent visit to Russia.

“Basically,we just told them (PMO)… we explained the situation so that he can discuss the matter during his visit,” Goswami said.

Asked when he had written the letter,Goswami said,”I think a few days before his departure. May be a week before his departure.”

Replying to another query about why a letter was written to the PMO,he said,”There is a limit to what an Ambassador can do. Prime Minister can do much more.”

The state prosecutor’s office in Tomsk,Russia,has filed a court case asking the court to ban ‘Bhagwat Gita’ in Russia,translated by ISKON’s founder A C Bhaktived Swami Prabhupada.

The issue has already been raised in Parliament.

Government today termed the complaint as “patently absurd” and said it seemed to be the handiwork of “some ignorant and misdirected or motivated individuals”.

Announcing that the government had taken up the matter at “senior levels” of the Russian government,External Affairs Minister S M Krishna told Lok Sabha that the government was confident that Moscow will resolve the matter “appropriately”.

Ambassador Malhotra said today in Moscow that “The matter has been taken up by the Indian Embassy in Moscow with the Russian Government at senior official level,seeking its favourable and positive intervention in the matter”.

The ruling in the case has been postponed to December 28.