HYDERABAD: An atmosphere of tension hung over the residence of noted writer and political thinker Dr Kancha Ilaiah (64), located at Tarnaka here, after some members of the Arya Vysya community gathered there "to hold a debate with him" on his controversial book, titled "Samajika Smugglurlu Komatollu" (Vysyas: social smugglers).
The Arya Vysya association has been outraged at Ilaiah's portrayal of the community. They have demanded that the book be withdrawn as "the title and some contents of the book are derogatory and offensive to them."
Around 10.30 am today, the Vysya association members, who have been protesting ever since the book was released a few days ago, tried to besiege the residence of the writer.
As scores of Arya Vysyas gathered at Ilaiah's home and squatted there shouting slogans against him, a large number of Dalits and some backward caste members too arrived there, expressing solidarity with the writer.
Sensing the tense atmosphere and fearing it would turn into a law and order problem, Osmania University police, under whose police station limits the writer's residence comes, rushed a large contingent of personnel to the spot.
Police detained a delegation of Arya Vysya community members led by a businessman named Srinivas Gupta, who were trying to proceed to Tarnaka from Uppal to meet Ilaiah. Police moved all of them to Amberpet police station.
Speaking out against the 'siege', Ilaiah accused BJP leaders of deliberately encouraging a section of people to act against him with an eye on vote bank politics.
He announced that he would not discuss the contents of his book with any of the Arya Vysya community members, except BJP national president Amit Shah. "I am ready to discuss the merits and demerits of the views expressed in my book. But, the debate is held only with Amit Shah," the writer is said to have told some of his followers today.
The book, titled "Samajika Smugglurlu Komatollu" (Vysyas: social smugglers), released in Telugu recently, is an extract from his older book, "Post Hindu India: A Discourse on Dalit–Bahujan, Socio-spiritual and Scientific Revolution," published in 2009.