Muslims protest against book by civil rights activist

Crescent over the world - is a boon or the silent Holocaust, authored by Macha Laxmaiah alias Krantikar, a civil rights activist, caused turmoil in the town on Thursday.

Hundreds of Muslim youths staged demonstrations protesting what they called objectionable contents in the book that hurt their beliefs and sentiments.

They said the book contained banned articles from Satanic Verses written by Salman Rushdie and Lajja by Taslima Nasreen, along with some objectionable cartoons drawn by a Danish.

Police seized 380 books of the first volume and 410 books of the second volume of the publication in raids at different places in the district and arrested the author. Parties were deputed to other places in search of the books already dispatched.

Special forces deployed

Police in other cities, including Hyderabad, were also put on alert.

Special forces were deployed to avoid untoward incidents in the town as some of the Islamic organisations demanded action against the author as well as the some doctors and heads of educational institutions who had allegedly funded him for bringing out the two volumes.

Khammam Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar said the circulation posed a threat to communal harmony. As the law enforcing agency, the police had the responsibility to respond to the situation and maintain law and order.

He said the books were seized after taking legal opinion. “We also feel that there is some objectionable content in the book.”