Nandy row: Fest organisers to stay back in Jaipur

, Jan 28: The Jaipur Police today asked the organisers of Jaipur

Festival not to leave the city till investigation into the case against author Ashis Nandy is over.

Additional Commissioner of Police Biju George Joseph said the organisers were asked to remain in the city as a probe is going on against Nandy and festival producer Sanjoy Roy.

"We asked the organisers to not leave the city in order to complete the probe," Joseph said. Confirming the development, Roy said, "I have signed the papers on behalf of the JLF team to comply with the orders."

An FIR was lodged against Nandy and Roy last Saturday by Rajpal Meena, chairperson of the SC/ST Rajasthan Manch, after Nandy stoked a controversy with comments that people from OBC, SC and ST were the "most corrupt".

Nandy has already left Jaipur skipping the rest of the festival ending today.

Meanwhile, Nandy defended his statements on Dalits and other backwards classes saying he stood by what he said and that he apologised only to those who were hurt by his statement.

"I don't feel hounded. I stand by what I said. If people listen to my full statement carefully, it was actually pro-Dalit. I apologised to those who were hurt by my statement," Nandy told electronic media today.

The corruption was seen in Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis because they say it as an 'equalising force', Nandy said. "Elite corruption can easily be hidden whereas Dalit corruption makes a splash," he felt.

He said that intolerance has grown in the Indian society. "Jaipur Literature Festival is not a public forum, it's not a parliament. One can't criticise a Dalit leader today, this is a price we have to pay for democracy," he said.'

On National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman PL Punia's demand for his arrest, Nandy said, "by seeking my arrest, they are only indulging in dangerous games."

Nandy had kicked up a storm at the Jaipur Literature Festival on Saturday when he claimed Dalits and other backward castes are responsible for corruption in the country.

OneIndia News