Complaint against Booker Prize winner Geetanjali Shree for 'hurting Hindu sentiments'

An event to honour International Booker Prize winner Geetanjali Shree here on Saturday was called off by the organisers after a complaint was filed against the author alleging there are some objectionable comments about Indian deities in her novel. The felicitation event was to be hosted by cultural organisations Rangleela and Agra Theatre Club.

"The event was called off due to a controversy over a complaint against the International Booker prize winner Geenjali Shree," Anil Shukla, a functionary of Rangleela, told PTI.

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"A man named Sandeep Kumar Pathak from Sadabad in Hathras district has filed the complaint against the writer. In the complaint, he has blamed Geetanjali Shree for alleged objectionable comments on Lord Shiva and mother Parvati," he said. Spokesperson of the event Rambharat Upadhyay said that in his complaint, Pathak mentioned that the comments have "hurt the sentiments of Hindus".

In May, Shree became the first Indian author to win the International Booker Prize for her novel "Ret Samadhi", which was translated into English as "Tomb of Sand" by American translator Daisy Rockwell.

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