Cong's Singhvi backs Delhi Riots book cancellation; Bloomsbury faces ire for Shaheen Bagh

As publishing house Bloomsbury India withdrew a book titled 'Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story', after facing backlash on social media, Congress has opined that good sense has prevailed. While many politicians, journalists, celebrities and authors have raised crucial questions on freedom of speech and democratic rights as the book was withdrawn, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi has chosen to pin the blame of the Delhi riots on to BJP.

The BJP has however said that this pressure made by the left-liberals on a publishing house exposes who was behind the February riots in the national capital. Moreover, Bloomsbury India now faces backlash for publishing a book titled 'Shaheen Bagh'.

Taking to Twitter, Singhvi has said that people & voters of Delhi can see what fraud has been perpetrated upon them in the name of development, adding that 'spine' has prevailed as the Bloomsbury India has decided to withdraw the book, pinpointing that BJP leader Kapil Mishra would attend the launch.

Kapil Mishra gave a communally charged speech before the riots broke out in Delhi and has been accused by many for provoking the rioters. However, the Delhi Police has not yet named him in any of their 111 chargesheets related to the riots.

READ | Bloomsbury India withdraws 'Delhi Riots 2020' book facing online ire; BJP MP slams move

Controversy over the book

A controversy emerged on Friday night when an advocate Monika Arora took to Twitter to share a promotional poster of launching of book titled - Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story. The book is authored by advocate Monika Arora and Delhi University teachers Sonali Chitalikar, Prerna Malhotra. The guest of honour in the poster mentioned the names of Vivek Agnihotri, Nupur Sharma and Kapil Mishra. Reportedly, the 190-page book, suggests the riots were orchestrated by 'urban Naxals', had links with the ISIS, and states how the anti-CAA protests at Jamia and Shaheen Bagh to the riots. Several social media users took to Twitter to condemn 'Bloomsbury India' - the publisher for allegedly 'publishing a book of lies'. 

 READ | Subramanian Swamy shocked at Delhi Riots Book cancellation; slams 'left mafia, few angrez'

Bloomsbury withdraws book

Publishing house Bloomsbury India withdrew publication of a book titled - Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story on Saturday, after facing ire on social media. Bloomsbury India in a statement said that 'it had no knowledge of the launch event' and would not have approved of the participation of several parties. "Bloomsbury India had planned to release Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story in September as a book giving a factual report on the riots in Delhi in February 2020, based on investigations and interviews conducted by the authors. Bloomsbury India strongly supports freedom of speech but also has a deep sense of responsibility towards society."

However, the publishing house is going full speed ahead with another book, 'Shaheen Bagh - From a protest to movement' by Zia Us Salam and Uzma Ausaf.

READ | Delhi Riots: Police grills ex-JNU student leader Umar Khalid; seizes his mobile phone

Delhi riots

Clashes began between CAA supporters and anti-CAA groups in Northeast Delhi on February 23, as both camps resorted to stone-pelting after Shaheen Bagh-like protests started in Jaffrabad and Chand Bagh. The situation deteriorated even after Delhi Police reached the spot with houses, shops, and buses being gutted to fire by rioters. The violence killed 53 and injured over 200, as per official figures.

READ | Discontent in Delhi BJP over minority community members from Shaheen Bagh joining party