Tamil Nadu BJP waded itself into the row over arrest of a journalist for displaying an anti-government publication at the Chennai Book Fair by demanding a ban on books that eulogise now-defunct LTTE and its once-dreaded chief Velupillai Prabhakaran at the annual event.
BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy asked The Booksellers’ & Publishers’ Association of South India (BAPASI), organisers of the annual book fair, to direct stalls selling books related to LTTE to stop their sale immediately.
"If it is so, the organisers should not allow the sale of books on the banned organisation LTTE and Prabhakaran and ask the concerned shops to vacate with immediate effect,” he said in response to the arrest of a journalist for selling a book that spoke about the Tamil Nadu government’s alleged corruption.
BJP’s demand comes a day after V Anbazhagan, the scribe, was picked up from his residence at 5 am on Sunday and was remanded to judicial custody till January 24. He was arrested on a complaint by BAPASI that he attacked its members when they sought an explanation for selling a book that refers to alleged corruption in the Smart City project in Chennai.
Books relating to LTTE and Prabhakaran are displayed prominently at the book fair and organisers they are some of the after-sought publications.
Published 13 January 2020, 12:38 IST