A day after publishing house Bloomsbury India withdrew a book on Delhi riots, the authors on Sunday said the decision was in breach of contract and that the publishers would “invite civil and criminal liability.”
The authors said the book would be brought out by another publisher.
Backlash on social media
The book, ‘Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story’ by advocate Monika Arora and Delhi University teachers Sonali Chitalkar and Prerna Malhotra, was set to be released next month. The authors organised a launch event in which BJP leader Kapil Mishra was the guest of honour, leading to backlash on social media. Mr. Mishra had given a speech a day before the riots broke out in northeast Delhi in February, asking for the anti-Citizen (Amendment) Act, 2019 protesters to be removed from the area. The authors write about what they call “the urban Naxal and jihadi riot model.”
“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. 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. Bloomsbury India strongly supports freedom of speech but also has a deep sense of responsibility towards society,” the publishing house said in a statement on Saturday.
In a letter to Bloomsbury on Sunday, a copy of which Ms. Arora posted on Twitter, the authors said they had not been given a reason for the publisher’s decision to withdraw. They said they only received a phone call shortly before the online launch of the book on Saturday informing them that Bloomsbury U.K. had told the India office to distance itself from the book due to pressure from “social media campaign.” They said the draft of the book had been finalised by the publisher.
They termed it a “breach of contract, unethical and unprofessional conduct” and said the publisher would be “liable to pay damages to the authors for damaging their reputation, disowning them publicly, causing mental agony ...”
Later on Sunday evening, Ms. Arora said in a tweet that Bloomsbury had not responded in writing to the authors. “We have no option but to go with another publisher,” she wrote.
In another tweet, she said: “As per peoples sentiments, we are going ahead with @GarudaPrakashan LET THE TRUTH BE REVEALED #DelhiRiotsTheUntoldStory (sic).”
