State govt faces flak over arrest of four who published works of Babu Rajab Ali

Noted names like Dr Parmod Kumar,director of the Institute of Development and Communications; Dr Harish Puri,a well-known political scientist and historian; Chaman Lal,a professor and former chairperson at the Centre of Indian Languages in JNU; playwright Ajmer Aulkah and poets Navtej Bharti and Amarjit Chandan and many more came down heavily on the state government.

SSP Barnala Surjeet Singh maintained,“Our information showed that these books carry information related to certain castes of our society and could incite violence. However we are conducting inquiry into the issue.”

However,Dr Harish Puri said: “What the government and the police need to realise is that these works were written in a certain period of time and contexts of those time. The contexts have now changed and while taking an action like this the agencies should check the intention of the publishers or the editors. This book is a mere reprint and the publishers have not added any word from there side. As per me it is an innocent act.”

“This act of the Punjab government is not only against freedom of expression but also an abuse of the law. We condemn the government’s move and demand immediate release of all publishers and editors booked under the SC/ST Act,” they said.