Amid 'Delhi Riots 2020' book row, Anurag Kashyap says 'banning suppresses free speech'

Coronavirus and celebrity deaths have made netizens curse 2020 and call it the ‘worst year’ among others. However, much before the events, another unpleasant occurrence this year had been the Delhi riots during February. As the announcement of the book Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story and its subsequent withdrawal created a controversy, Anurag Kashyap stated that banning anything, even if it was ‘made of lies’, meant suppression of freedom of expression,

READ: Bloomsbury India Withdraws 'Delhi Riots 2020' Book Facing Online Ire; BJP MP Slams Move

Anurag Kashyap hints at Delhi Riots book controversy

Without naming the book, Anurag Kashyap wrote that banning a book he doesn’t agree with was the same as banning a book that he agreed with. The director added that it was similar to banning a film that offends somebody and banning his film that offended somebody. 

The Black Friday filmmaker continued that democracy gave space to both opinion and contrary opinion. He added that the way to fight is through ‘dissent and education’, and that there will always be a ‘struggle for the truth.’ Kashyap concluded by stating that banning and withdrawing was not the ‘solution in a healthy democracy.’

READ: Delhi Riots: Court Allows To Summon Ex-AAP Leader Tahir Hussain In IB Officer's Murder

Anurag Kashyap’s films have often been at the centre of the storm with regards to 'bans.' His debut film Paanch is still unreleased, Black Friday faced a major battle before finally releasing, while productions like Udta Punjab too needed court intervention for release after being ‘banned.’

Delhi Riots 2020 controversy 

Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story sparked a controversy after a poster of a launch event of the book went viral on social media. Apart from the authors Monica Arora, Sonali Chitalkar and Prerna Malhotra, pictures of BJP leader Kapil Mishra, director Vivek Agnihotri and journalist Nupur Sharma were listed as attendees of the event.  

Kapil Mishra was had sparked a controversy with an inflammatory speech before the riots. As the poster went viral, a certain section vehemently opposed its release.

The publishers of the book, Bloomsbury India then released a statement that they were withdrawing the book.

 “Bloomsbury India had planned to release Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story in September, a book purportedly giving a factual report on the riots in Delhi in February 2020, based on investigations and interviews conducted by the authors,” the statement read. 

It further added, “However, in view of very recent events including a virtual pre-publication launch organised without our knowledge by the authors, with participation by parties of whom the publishers would not have approved, we have decided to withdraw publication of the book. Bloomsbury India strongly supports freedom of speech but also has a deep sense of responsibility towards society.” 

However, another book on a related topic, on the Shaheen Bagh protests, is still being pushed by the same publisher.

Delhi riots 

53 persons were killed and over 400 injured in the clashes between pro-CAA and anti-CAA groups, sparked by stone-pelting by both camps on February 23, as Shaheen Bagh-like anti-CAA protests spread. Areas like Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Babarpur, Yamuna Vihar, Bhajanpura, Chand Bagh and Shiv Vihar of noth-east Delhi were most affected. 

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