Chennai (Tamil Nadu): A book by award-winning author Arundhati Roy has been removed from the syllabus of a Tamil Nadu university after a complaint by the ABVP.
Roy's book 'Walking with the Comrades' was withdrawn by the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Tirunelveli after a complaint by members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the RSS' student wing.
ABVP Dakshin Tamil Nadu joint secretary C Vignesh allegedly pressured the University vice-chancellor to remove Roy's book from the university syllabus.
The ABVP and others alleged the book glorified the ultras and was anti-national in content.
Reacting to this development, Member of Parliament (MP) representing Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, took to Twitter and said, "If politics is going to decide what literature, art and curriculum is all about, it is very dangerous for a pluralistic society."
CPI(M) Lok Sabha member S Venkatesan said on his Twitter handle removal of the book was condemnable and wanted the move to be rescinded.
The Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artistes Association general secretary Aadhavan Dheetchanya announced a virtual protest meet to oppose the deletion of the book from syllabus.
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The book by Roy, published in 2011, details the face-off between the Indian state and the armed revolutionary Maoist forces. It was reportedly part of the university's curriculum since 2017 for BA English language and literature students in their third semester.
Roy has been a vocal critic of the right-wing forces in the country. It is not the first time either that the sangh parivar has raised an objection to teaching material by her.
Earlier in July, the BJP's Kerala unit wrote to the Governor asking for a speech by Roy to be removed from the Calicut University's textbook.
