Rajasthan Police file FIR, summon Ashis Nandy

Zeenews Bureau

Jaipur: Rajasthan Police have lodged an FIR under the SC/ST Act against eminent writer and Professor Ashis Nandy, whose statement regarding corruption among the SC/ST and OBC class fuelled a massive controversy during the recently held Jaipur Literature Festival 2013. The police have summoned Nandy for questioning. Nandy on Saturday had stoked a major row with his comments that people belonging to OBC, SC and ST communities were the "most corrupt". "It is a fact that most of the corrupt come from OBCs and Scheduled Castes and now increasingly the Scheduled Tribes," he said participating in a session at the recently conculded Jaipur Literature Festival. Going further, he had said, "I will give an example. One of the states with the least amount of corruption is state of West Bengal when the CPI(M) was there. And I must draw attention to the fact that in the last 100 years, nobody from OBC, SC and ST has come anywhere near to power. It is an absolutely clean state." Nandy's comments triggered a storm with BSP chief Mayawati and LJP leader Ram Vilas demanding registration of case under SC/ST Act against Nandy. Mayawati wanted him to be jailed immediately. Congress, BJP, JD(U), CPI as also the SC Commission Chairman P L Punia also condemned the remarks. While seeking to clarify, Nandy made a flip flop saying he would apologise if he had been misunderstood. However, when questioned further, he said "I don't apologise at all because I hold it very close to my heart. I was, in fact, supporting the cause of those who are marginalised and those who are in minority and those who are oppressed. I have spent all my life supporting their causes and will continue doing it."