Bengaluru: Following a complaint from BJP leaders in Karnataka to Bengaluru Police Commissioner Pratap Reddy that writer Baraguru Ramachandrappa had insulted the national anthem in his 1983 novel “Bharatanagari,” Ramachandrappa issued a clarification on Tuesday August 30, claiming that the poem reflected the personality of a character in the novel and was a satirical take on the Congress government of the 1980s.
Ramachandrappa released a statement in which he clarified that the book is a satire on the deteriorating political system told through the voice of a young revolutionary.
“I’m shocked that a book I wrote 40 years ago is still being misinterpreted and causing a stir today. In the novel, the character uses the song “Janaganamana” as satire to criticise the government after it imprisoned him and made him sing a song praising its rule. According to Ramachandrappa, other characters in the book also express themselves depending on their behaviour and nature. “It is the nature and the behaviour of the character and not a personal opinion of the author,” he added.
Ramachandrappa was charged with disrespecting the national anthem by BJP MLC N. Ravikumar, who filed a complaint on Monday.