Three booked for burning copy of controversial novel ‘Meesha’

A case has been registered against three persons in connection with the incident, but no one has been taken into custody, police said.

A day after controversial Malayalam novel ‘Meesha’ hit the stands, a group of BJP activists on Thursday set fire to a copy of the book over the alleged anti-Hindu contents in the publication. The activists burnt the copy of the 328-page novel in front of the showroom of the DC Books, publisher of the book, here. A case has been registered against three persons in connection with the incident, but no one has been taken into custody, police said.

When contacted, BJP district president S Suresh said it was a symbolic protest against the “anti-Hindu and anti-women contents” of the novel. The writer, S Hareesh, was forced to withdraw the novel’s serialisation in the Mathrubhumi weekly after being allegedly threatened by some right-wing elements on social media last month.

Hareesh was targeted on the social media for allegedly denouncing women who go to temples in his book. Right-wing supporters have taken offence to a conversation between two characters in the novel.