AMN /
Noted Hindi novelist Kashi Nath Singh has announced to return his Sahitya Akademi award in protest against the Dadri lynching incident and the killing of Kannada writer MM Kalburgi. Singh had received the award in 2011 for his novel, ‘Rehan Par Ragghu’. He is best known for his novel, ‘kashi ka Assi’, which was later adapted by a Bollywood film, ‘Mohalla Assi’.
Announcing his decision in Varanasi yesterday, Singh said, the freedom of expression in the country is being curbed and leadership is becoming intolerant of the protest by the literary fraternity. He also expressed unhappiness that on the Dadri issue, central ministers have been giving irrational statements.