Leading publisher Bloomsbury India on Saturday said it has withdrawn the publication of the book on Delhi riots after receiving flak on social media.
The virtual launch of the book included BJP leader Kapil Mishra, who had been earlier accused of delivering inflammatory speeches and instigating hate against other religions and minority communities, along with Bhupendra Yadav, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri and Nupur Sharma.
Mishra took to twitter announcing the launch.
The Book is Public NowIndia and the world will read it and know the Truth of Anti Hindu Delhi Riots No Hate Campaign and Propaganda Machinery Can STOP the Truth to come out#DelhiRiotsUntoldStories pic.twitter.com/QkHlRtcHPf
— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) August 22, 2020
Soon after the news about the launch of the book broke, individuals including authors, actors, intellectuals, journalists and others condemned the publishing house for its publishing, questioning the company’s credibility by approving the book that clearly targets minorities and freedom of speech and is far apart from delivering facts.
I’m now ashamed at having contributed to a chapter in a @BloomsburyIndia book. When the history of our times is written, the role of publishers who colluded and published falsehoods to serve current powers will also be noted. Shame on you. You’re no longer a credible publisher. https://t.co/NIFrlWKplS
— Jayati Ghosh (@Jayati1609) August 22, 2020
(Thread)@BloomsburyIndia is releasing a book on the Delhi Riots 2020 — and guess who the Guest of Honours are: KAPIL MISHRA, the hate-monger and brain-child of goli maaron saalon ko (shoot the bastards) slogan, who explicitly called for violence against Muslims and Dalits. pic.twitter.com/bC2HoFlmSg
— meena kandasamy || இளவேனில் (@meenakandasamy) August 21, 2020
The willingness of Bloomsbury to publish that book is more of a comment on us than it is a comment on them.They think this will sell in India.They would never show this level of contempt in a working democracy.This is what the world thinks of us.
— Omair Ahmad (@OmairTAhmad) August 21, 2020
Protesting @BloomsburyIndia’s decision to publish a book on Delhi riots the launch of which would be attended by riots-accursed Kapil Mishra and the fakenews factory Opindia’s Nupur Sharma tomorrow. It’s a shame. Stanly Johny.–A Bloomsbury India author.
— Stanly Johny (@johnstanly) August 21, 2020
The publishing company later said the event was organised without their knowledge and has now decided to cancel the release of the book titled ‘Delhi Riots 2020 – The Untold Story’.
‘Bloomsbury India had planned to release Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story in September, a book purportedly giving a factual report on the riots in Delhi in February 2020, based on investigations and interviews conducted by the authors,’ the company’s statement as quoted by NDTV.
‘However, in view of very recent events including a virtual pre-publication launch organised without our knowledge by the authors, with participation by parties of whom the Publishers would not have approved, we have decided to withdraw publication of the book,’ it added.
The company said it strongly supports freedom of speech but also has a deep sense of responsibility towards society.
The book is authored by Delhi University teachers Sonali Chitalkar and Prerna Malhotra, and advocate Monika Arora. It says that the riots were orchestrated by ‘jihadis’ and ‘urban Naxals’, that had links with the Islamic State, and involved ‘professional sharpshooters’. It also states that Muslim mobs were the instigators for the anti-CAA protests at Jamia and Shaheen Bagh that led to the riots.
The book claims the involvement of PFI (People’s Front of India) or ISIS of providing the list of names of individuals to be targeted by the mob and snipers, especially against security forces, police, intelligence agencies or persons belonging to Hindu organisations.
The book claims the Muslim mob to have made the first attack and target key areas like Northeast Delhi like Shiv Vihar. In response to the publishing house’s decision and public flak, Mishra said it was nothing but a campaign against writers.
Earlier at the launch, Mishra had said, the self-proclaimed torchbearers of freedom of speech are afraid of the book.
एक किताब से डर गए अभिव्यक्ति की आज़ादी के फर्जी ठेकेदार , ये किताब छ्प ना जाएं, ये किताब कोई पढ़ ना लें तुम्हारा ये डर इस किताब की जीत हैं तुम्हारा ये डर हमारी सच्चाई की जीत हैंMy Statement During Book Launch #DelhiRiotsUntoldStory pic.twitter.com/3rvHwffooA
— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) August 22, 2020
Bhupender Yadav, in his speech at the virtual launch, discussed the anti-CAA protests, stating that it clearly shows people’s belief in the very Constitution. ‘The people of Shaheen Bagh who protested, we have no problem with that, people can stage dharnas anywhere. But tell me one speech in which they said the rights of minorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan should be safeguarded,’ Yadav said.
He…
