Even Russians Won't Ban the Bhagavad Gita

A Russian court rejected a call from prosecutors on Wednesday to ban one of Hinduism's holiest books, avoiding a diplomatic tussle days before President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to India.

Indian lawmakers had criticized the case strongly. Russia and India have vibrant trade ties dating back to the Soviet era and New Delhi is Moscow's top arms customer, buying several billion dollars in weapons every year.