BJP moves EC against Kannada writer Ananthamurthy for anti-Modi campaign

Bangalore: The BJP on Monday moved the Election Commission seeking action against Jnanpith awardee U R Ananthamurthy for making personal attacks on Narendra Modi and campaigning for the Congress.

"Ananthamurthy is currently the Chancellor of a Central University at Gulbarga; it is not fair on part of an individual who is holding Chancellor's position to campaign on behalf of a political party," BJP said in its petition to Chief Electoral officer Anil Kumar Jha.

Calling it a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct, it said this also amounts to abuse of Chancellor's position.

Ananthamurthy was "speaking like Congress spokesperson", it said taking a dig at him for "misusing" freedom of speech by making personal attacks on Modi.

BJP asked for suspension of Ananthamurthy from the Chancellor's position and legal action against him.

The party said Ananthamurthy had called Modi communal who is on his way to divide the nation in the name of religion. It said the writer had also threatened to leave the country if Modi becomes the Prime Minister.

The petition was submitted by party joint spokesperson Malavika Avinash, state legal cell Convenor Vinod Kumar and Media Cell Convenor S Prakash.

Ananthamurthy and another Jnanpith award winner Girish Karnad have been at loggerheads with BJP and Sangh Parivar and both were joined by some Kannada writers last week in attacking Modi and speaking against his becoming prime minister.

Meanwhile Ananthamurthy, who had said that he would leave the country if Narendra Modi becomes the prime minister has said those remarks were made when he was

"overcome by emotion" and clarified that he had no such plan, though he continues to oppose BJP.

At a media interaction, Ananthamurthy said he favoured a "supple" government, which can meet diverse demands rather than a strong government which would impose homogeneity.

"A few months ago in Bangalore in a meeting, I was overcome by emotion, and I said I will not live in a country where Modi is Prime Minister. That was too much to say because I can't go anywhere except India," he said, flanked by Planning Commission member Sayeda Hameed and litterateur Ashok Vajpeyi.

He, however, said that if Modi comes to power it may result in a "shift in our civilisation." "I have a feeling that we may slowly lose our democratic rights or civil rights, when there is a bully. But much more than that when there is a bully we become cowards," Ananthamurthy said.

Speaking further, he said that an atmosphere is being created to allow Modi to rise and even media and liberals were doing it.

He was asked whether he feared that the country would be bogged down by pogroms and violence if Modi came to power.

"Yes, that is a basic fear. But it can also happen slowly in an invisible way that we go on changing and the whole Indian character will change... That is much worse than bloodbath and things like that," Ananthamurthy replied.

Ananthamurthy said that he had been accused by former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa of drawing Rs 1 lakh salary as the chancellor of Central University which was incorrect.

He said rather than development, political parties should make "Sarvodaya", which means reaching out to the most deprived, as their goal.

Anathamurthy said that his preference was AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal in Varanasi and Congress in Karnataka in order to defeat Modi.