Bloomsbury India has decided to withdraw the publication of the book ‘Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story’ by authors of Monika Arora, Sonali Chitalkar and Prerna Malhotra. In a statement, the publication house cited a ‘virtual pre-publication launch organised without our knowledge by the authors’ as one of the reasons for its decision.
Bloomsbury India said that they had planned to release the book, a factual account based on investigation and interviews conducted by the authors, in September 2020 but they have rescinded their decision.
Statement by Bloomsbury India (1/n): ‘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.’
— akankshakumar (@akanksha_kumar3) August 22, 2020
The publication house 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.”
Even as the Bloomsbury informed that they are withdrawing the book, it was marked as unavailable on e-commerce site Amazon. Before that, the book was available for pre-order, and a large number of people had pre-ordered the book ahead of its planned launch in next month.
The decision to withdraw the book came after a left-wing outrage mob led by prominent ‘intellectuals’ on social media pressurised the publication house to take the decision. The organisers of the outrage mob included personalities such as controversial actress Swara Bhasker and other eminent ‘journalists’ and ‘intellectuals’.
#ShameOnBloomsburyIndia
— meena kandasamy || இளவேனில் (@meenakandasamy) August 22, 2020
You cannot wash your hands by claiming that you are not organising this event. The fact that the chief instigator of rioting, Kapil Mishra, the man asking for violence against Muslims and Dalits endorses the book shows your fascist platforming https://t.co/Mvu1BIgYmv
Just well done, @BloomsburyIndia, absolutely well done. My regard for you has gone down the gutter. Please invite some war criminals and serial killers as well and fete them as guests of honours. @BloomsburyBooks @BloomsburyPub look at your reprehensible Indian division. https://t.co/MVZDW7g7b8
— Areeb Ahmad | 🌈 | He/Him (@Broke_Bookworm) August 21, 2020
facebook changes standards in india to cater to the Modi govt, but this is way beyond, one of the main perpetrators of the violence against muslims in delhi is the guest of honour? from promoting hate to promoting murder @BloomsburyIndia? @BloomsburyBooks @BloomsburyPub? https://t.co/FSUNTcfNPZ
— Hartosh Singh Bal (@HartoshSinghBal) August 21, 2020
Hi @BloomsburyPub , your concern in #India @BloomsburyIndia has announced a book on #DelhiRiots2020 and a guest of honour at the launch is one of the people who is accused on instigating the pogrom, (there is video evidence to support the same accusation) 1/2 https://t.co/I3piEG3iVO
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) August 21, 2020
The South Asia Solidarity Initiative, which has links to Islamists, also jumped on the bandwagon to bully Bloomsbury India into withdrawing the book. It had recently protested against ‘Hindu fascists’ at Times Square in New York on the occasion of the Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan.
.@BloomsburyIndia – you are platforming Hindutva Nazis. Kapil Mishra directly instigated the pogrom against Muslims earlier this year and now he will be speaking at this fascist book launch to distort history? SHAME ON YOU. https://t.co/132ok77VZ3
— South Asia Solidarity Initiative (@SASIinNYC) August 21, 2020
Congress supporters, too, bullied Bloomsbury India into withdrawing the book.
Publisher @BloomsburyIndia is releasing a book which seeks to blame minorities for the Delhi Pogrom.
— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) August 21, 2020
Nupur Sharma of OpIndia & CRIMINAL KAPIL MISHRA OF BJP are guests of honor at the release.
An int’l publishing house openly pushes sanghi communal agenda. #BoycottBloomsbury pic.twitter.com/zrbcJqhyra
The event that was cited as one of the reasons for the withdrawal of the book was to be attended by BJP leader Kapil Mishra and OpIndia Editor-in-Chief Nupur Sharma, which caused great outrage among the Leftist mob. Even as Bloomsbury India caved into pressure from the outraged mob comprised of liberals, Congress supporters and Islamists, it claimed that it supports free speech. It said that it withdrew the Delhi Riots book because it “has a deep sense of responsibility towards society”.
