Writer's face blackened by suspected right wing youths

Controversial Kannada writer Yogesh Master was attacked by half a dozen bike-borne youths in Davangere on Sunday. The youths manhandled him, blackened his face and shirt and insulted him in public view. 

The author was in the city on Sunday to participate in a programme to mark the 82nd birth anniversary of journalist P Lankesh and memorial day function organised by Gauri Lankesh Patrike at Kuvempu Kannada Bhavan in city. The incident took place when the author and three of his friends went to drink tea at a tea stall on Bapuji Dental College road after the inaugural function.

Later, addressing reporters, the author said he was dragged, assaulted, insulted, humiliated and smeared with black spray on his face and shirt by bike-borne youths who were shouting “Jai Sri Ram”.

Yogesh Master’s controversial Kannada novel “Dhundi Aranyakanobba Ganapathiyade Kathe”, had triggered widespread protests across the state four years ago. He was also arrested after several pro-Hindu organisations objected to his depicting Lord Ganesha in ‘bad light’ in his literary work and hurting the sentiments of Hindus.

Meanwhile, journalist Gauri Lankesh, CPI national Polit Bureau member Siddanagowda Patil, labour union leader H K Ramachanadrappa, activist Nagari Babaiah and others condemned the attack and demanded the arrest of the culprits. Yogesh Master has lodged a complaint in this regard.