MYSURU: Well-known scholar, Kannada poet and writer Hampa Nagarajaiah was on Thursday summoned by the Mandya East police for questioning in connection with a complaint against him for allegedly criticising PM Narendra Modi. However, the move to call the 85- year-old poet for inquiry has not gone down well with litterateurs and progressive thinkers who have condemned it and termed it as “restriction on freedom of speech”. Nagarajaiah, who had taken part in the Mandya Taluk Sahitya Sammelana on January 17, had allegedly criticised the PM during his speech and compared the Centre to ‘Duryodhana’, the character from the epic ‘Mahabharata’.
Following this, one M C Ravi filed a complaint at the Mandya East police station on January 19, alleging that he had made a provocative speech. Following the petition, Mandya East police station PSI questioned him in this regard. However, no FIR has been filed so far.Writers including Prof G Siddaramaiah, Baraguru Ramachandrappa and other progressive thinkers and judges expressed displeasure against summoning Nagarajaiah.
‘Quizzing HamPaNa in police station an insult’
Condemning the police inquiry, KPCC president D K Shivakumar on Friday said the BJP was trying to threaten those who raise their voice against them. “Questioning Hampa Nagarajaiah at a police station is a major insult to Kannada literature. Where is the Kannada Sahitya Parishat, where are the pro- Kannada outfits and associations? Why haven’t they condemned it?” he asked. The Congress leader further said the BJP government was trying to jail those who speak against them.
“I have known HamPaNa’s family from a young age. I will visit their family and speak with them,” he said. Meanwhile, Mandya Superintendent of Police Parashurama K said Nagarajaiah had visited Mandya East police station in connection with the complaint and said that the latter’s statements were in reference to the ongoing farmers’ protest. “He has clarified that he has not made any provocative speech against the PM and has always respected the post. We regret that a senior poet like him was made to visit a police station to record his statements. I have instructed the Mandya Deputy SP to submit a report,” he said.