Indian authorities are to seek the arrest of a US academic whose book on King Shivaji has enraged Hindu nationalists who see the 17th century warrior as a hero, a state minister said on Tuesday.
The western state of Maharashtra, of which Bombay is the capital, wants to bring James Laine, a professor of religious studies at Macalaster College in Minnesota, to India for interrogation, state Home Minister R.R. Patil said.
“If he does not show up on his own, then we will seek the assistance of Interpol to bring him as a criminal offence has been registered against him for the book which contains alleged slanderous remarks against Shivaji and his mother Jijamata,” Patil said.
Laine is the author of “Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India”, which despite its largely positive portrayal of the Hindu ruler mentioned rumours that he had unclear parentage.
Shivaji, born in 1627 in Maharashtra, founded the Maratha kingdom and made it his mission to rid India of Islamic rule. He is an icon for the modern-day Hindu revivalist movement, including members of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Maharashtra banned the 2003 book and the publisher, Oxford University Press, withdrew it from sale in the state.
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said Saturday he would support a nationwide ban on the biography.
“We not only condemn it (the book), but also warn the foreign author not to play with our national pride,” Vajpayee told a campaign rally in Maharashtra’s Beed district.
In January, Hindu zealots attacked an academic institute where Laine conducted research in Pune, 200 kilometers (120 miles) south of Bombay, destroying a number of rare books.
The vandalism brought strong condemnation from scholars in India, who noted that freedom of expression is enshrined in the country’s constitution.
Vajpayee, usually regarded as a moderate in the BJP, had earlier taken a softer stand on the book, which analysts said worked to the advantage of India’s main opposition Congress party, which is in power in Maharashtra.
The BJP is widely tipped to win re-election at polls to be held in five rounds from April 20 on the back of strong economic growth and Vajpayee’s personal popularity.