Amritsar: Apparently concerned by communal violence in nearby Jalandhar, authorities in Amritsar quickly moved in to defuse tension brewing among the dalit outfits over a book describing Balmiki as a dacoit-turned saint, by persuading the publisher to tender an unconditional apology and destroy the copies.

Deputy commissioner Raminder Singh said the publisher Bhai Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh was persuaded by the district administration, following threats by Bhartia Balmiki Samaj (BBS) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to launch a state-wide stir if he did not apologise and destroy copies of 'Katha Sarovar' containing the remarks.

Singh said the publisher has agreed to tender an unconditional apology in writing to BBS and BSP, besides consigning to flames all the copies of the book at Ram Tirath at Amritsar in the presence of senior leaders of the organisations.

The publisher has also assured that the controversial remarks against Balmiki would be deleted in future publications, the deputy commissioner said, adding that this would resolve the matter amicably.

Singh said the publisher was initially reluctant and questioned why BBS and BSP were reacting now to a book being published since 1948 without any changes. But he agreed to their demands to apologise and burn the copies when the administration told him that a first information report (FIR) could be lodged against him for publishing the remarks against Balmiki.

PTI