Writers, retired judges extend support to Hampa Nagarajaiah

A few retired judges and writers have extended support to writer Hampa Nagarajaiah, against whom a complaint is lodged by the BJP workers, and the police had summoned him to get his statement, in Mandya.

Bengaluru-based Nagarajaiah, who inaugurated the Taluk Sahitya Sammelana in Mandya on January 17, had compared the Union government with Mahabharata character Duryodana, citing the lack of response to the farmers’ protest in Delhi. Based on a complaint, lodged by the BJP workers, he was summoned for an inquiry to the police station on Thursday.

In a press note, retired judges Gopala Gowda, A J Sadashiva and Nagamohan Das, writers Baraguru Ramachandrappa, B Rajasekhara Murthy, G Ramakrishna, Siddanagowda Patil, Allamaprabhu Bettaduru, Basavaraja Sarabada, Sukanya Maruthi, K Sharif, Bhaktarahalli Kamaraj, R G Halli Nagaraj, Gurushanth, H R Swamy and Gudihalli Nagaraj have signed the press note.

It reads: “Freedom of expression is abused, by summoning an elderly writer, who is 85-years-old, to the police station. We condemn this. Like we have the freedom to praise leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and governments, we have the freedom to criticise. Hampa Nagarajaiah has not crossed the limits of decency, while criticising. He has only questioned the PM, citing the farmers protest. The BJP workers could have clarified on the issue, rather than lodge a complaint. The police action was also not warranted.”