Sedition case against Malayalam novelist for 'insulting' national anthem

A BJP activist alleged that Kamal C Chavara insulted national anthem in his novel 'Smasanangalude Notupusthakam' Kollam district police chief conducted a preliminary investigation and directed Karunagappally police to slap sedition charges against the writer. 

Kerala police have booked Malayalam writer Kamal C Chavara for sedition for allegedly insulting national anthem in his novel and through Facebook posts. The case follows a complaint submitted to DGP Loknath Behra by a BJP youth wing worker. 

Taking a prompt action, the police took the writer in custody from Kozhikode on Sunday and will hand him over to police officials in Kollam. 

The BJP activist alleged that the writer insulted national anthem in his novel Smasanangalude Notupusthakam (The Notebook of Cemeteries). Some of the Facebook posts of Kamal also denigrated the anthem, he alleged.  

Following the complaint, Kollam district police chief conducted a preliminary investigation and directed Karunagappally police to slap sedition charges against the writer. 

The recent Supreme Court (SC) verdict making national anthem compulsory in cinema halls and before every screening at International Film Festival of Kerala had sparked a heated debate in Kerala.  Some of the delegates at the festival had protested against the alleged attempts to impose nationalism forcefully and refused to stand up when the anthem played. The police had taken a few delegates into custody following this. 

Making things worse further, the BJP organised public protests against those who "insulted" national anthem. Kerala Chalachitra Academy chairman and filmmaker Kamal also bore the brunt of the protests.