The city police have registered a case against author Yoesh Master for allegedly depicting Lord Ganesh as cruel in his book ‘Dundhi’. The book was released in the city recently.
Many pro-Hindu organisations and also writers demanded a ban on the book. Some of them have also sought action against him for hurting people’s religious sentiments.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Kamal Pant said the case has been registered under Section 295 A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and Section 298 (Uttering words, etc with deliberate intent to wound religious feeling) of the IPC. “We are also taking legal opinion to get more clarity on this issue,” he told Express.
Actor and director K S L Swamy said ‘Dundhi’ means Ganesha with trunk and there is a temple with the same name at Kashi. “Such books will be published with distorted mind. They will spoil others. It is a sensitive issue and we should not hurt others’ sentiments,” he said.
“We believe and worship Gods with monkey, elephant and snake heads. We worship trees and lake as God. This is how our Dharma developed,” he added.
Noted writer and historian M Chidananda Murthy said, “None of the mythological books and poems criticised Ganesha. In fact, during freedom struggle, Balagangadhar Tilak encouraged people to take part in Ganesha festival. Shaivas, Vaishnavas and others worship Ganesha. We have lived in this faith for the past many centuries. It is not a good practice to make fun of Ganesha. The government should ban the book and author should seek a public apology.”
Even on social networking sites, many people condemned the author’s views.
The book, according to those demanding its ban, states that Ganesha was staying in forest used to raid ‘Yagna Shalas’ to distract saints. To prevent that, saints used to invite him before doing any yagna and the practice continued as people started believing that one should worship Ganesha before taking up any work.
Despite many attempts, calls to author Yogesh’s mobile went unanswered.