Writer and activist Kancha Ilaiah on Sunday lodged a police complaint after his car was allegedly attacked with stones in Telangana’s Parakal town on Saturday. However, no First Information Report has been filed, the police told PTI.
Ilaiah accused members of the Arya-Vyasa community for the attack on him and assistant professor of sociology at Osmania University Bheenaveni Ramaiah. Ilaiah has been under fire from the community over his book Samajika Smugglurlu Komatollu.
The writer claimed that “about 30 people” with stones attacked the car near the Ambedkar statue in Parakal. “Some attackers started chasing my car from Bhupalpally,” Ilaiah said. “They would have attacked us at the Bhupalapally signal, but my driver sped off after the green light turned on, saving us.” He said the driver had taken the car to the police station where the mob followed them and laid a siege.
Parkal police station Inspector J Narsimhalu said some people threw footwear at the writer. “He ran into the police station for protection. The protestors were dispersed and he has returned to Hyderabad,” said Narsimhalu, according to The Indian Express.
Ilaiah praised the police for immediately providing security. “The police followed us in two vehicles,” he added.
The controversy
Ilaiah’s book, Samajika Smugglurlu Komatollu, is at the centre of a controversy, as it claims the Arya Vysyas community used to eat meat and were agriculturalists. Arya Vysya associations have alleged the title of the book and some of its content are demeaning, and burnt his effigies in Hyderabad and other areas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Ilaiah had filed a police complaint on September 11 stating that he feared for his life.
On September 19, Telugu Desam Party MP TG Venkatesh had said that Ilaiah should be hanged for his book. The TDP legislator, who is also an Arya-Vyasa community leader, reportedly said there should be a rule in India, like in the Gulf nations, under which blasphemy and speaking in a hurtful manner about religion should be punished with stoning and hanging in public.
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