War on Words

A petition has been filed against the organisers of JLF at the magistrate court for hurting national sentiment at the opening ceremony on Wednesday. Apparently, the tune of the national anthem was modified at the opening ceremony at Diggi Palace, leading to the complaint.

The JLF is, however, not new to controversies. Three years ago, Salman Rushdie was barred from attending the festival by Rajasthan police for perceived threats to his life. Rushdie had pulled back citing protests from Muslim organisations and even his proposed video talk had to be pulled off when hardliners threatened to disrupt the festival should it take place. In 2013, an FIR had been filed against sociologist Ashis Nandy and festival producer Sanjoy Roy for hurting the sentiment of the backward communities.