Telangana Book on Ambedkar Sparks Protests, Police Complaints; Author Arrested

A Telugu book that critics say disparages Dr BR Ambedkar has triggered protests across Telangana, with Dalit and Ambedkarite organisations demanding the arrest of its author and a halt to its publication.

The book, Kalpitha Nayakudu (The Fabricated Leader), is written by Nagularapu Vara Prasad, who also goes by the name Hamara Prasad. The nearly 730-page work has drawn objections over its title and its reported treatment of Dr Ambedkar’s legacy.

Reports on the book’s promotional material say it examines Dr Ambedkar through references to “anti-national” and “anti-Hindu” positions and separatism. Dr Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution and a lifelong campaigner against caste discrimination, is a revered figure for Dalits and other marginalised communities. The title itself — “The Fabricated Leader” — is seen by many as a direct attack on his legacy.

Dr Ambedkar is a central figure in India’s constitutional history. Born in 1891, he overcame severe caste discrimination to become a jurist, economist and social reformer. He chaired the drafting committee of the Indian Constitution and served as India’s first law minister. His birthday, April 14, is observed as Ambedkar Jayanti, and his legacy is particularly cherished by Dalits, who see him as a symbol of resistance against caste oppression.

Prasad has said his work seeks to challenge personality cults and present what he describes as the “real history” of the country.

The controversy has led to demonstrations in several districts. In Asifabad, Dalit organisations took out a rally on Thursday from Lumbini Deeksha Bhoomi to Ambedkar Chowk and burnt an effigy of Prasad. Similar protests and effigy-burning were reported in Indravelli and Nirmal, where protesters demanded immediate legal action against him.

Complaints have been filed with the police in different locations. In Dubbaka of Medak district, Telangana Mala Mahanadu leaders approached the police seeking action over what they described as objectionable remarks about Dr Ambedkar. At Tadwai in Kamareddy district, Ambedkar Association members submitted a written complaint demanding Prasad’s arrest.

The matter has also reached the Telangana High Court. In response to a petition seeking to stall the release of the book on the grounds that it could lead to public disorder and promote enmity between communities, the Telangana government told the court that the author had been arrested in a case registered over the book’s alleged defamatory and derogatory content.

This is not the first controversy involving Prasad. In 2023, the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police arrested him after a video containing provocative remarks about Dr Ambedkar circulated on social media.

The protests reflect the deep sensitivities surrounding Dr Ambedkar’s legacy in Telangana, where Dalit and Ambedkarite groups have long organised around issues of caste dignity and constitutional rights. The demand to halt the book’s publication and the legal proceedings against the author are part of an ongoing debate over the balance between free expression and respect for historical figures.

As of now, the situation remains tense, with police complaints filed in multiple districts and the High Court hearing the matter. Further developments are awaited.