SHILLONG: Governor Tathagata Roy, who was recently denied a slot at Kolkata Book Fair, is suspecting “political ploy” in the organisers’ U-turn after giving permission to read his book on Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
“It is difficult to say but I would not rule it out (political ploy),” Roy told The Shillong Times here over the phone here on Tuesday.
Roy said he had written a biography on Sangh founder Mookerjee in Bengali and the book was released by Governor of West Bengal Keshari Nath Tripathi in January.
Terming the incident as surprising and disappointing, Roy said he wanted a book reading session at the fair on February 4 and the secretary of the Publishers and Book Sellers Guild had agreed for a slot.
However, after a few days, Roy was informed that his book reading was not possible and the two-hour slot had been allotted to someone else.
Later, the governor was told that they wanted a written confirmation. According to him, if the organisers wanted a written confirmation, they could have called him but added that he trusted the word of mouth.
However, the governor went to the bookstall of his publisher on that particular day and signed the books.
“I did not go there as a governor but as an author and I had thought that people who were concerned with books would have some honour with their words of mouth like if someone promises me something, he would not back track and I am surprised and disappointed,” the governor added.
The West Bengal BJP president, Dilip Ghosh, had reportedly alleged that the state government “has played a role” in ensuring that Roy did not get a slot as the book is on Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
