File photo: Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma.
As more writers and poets decided to return their Sahita Akademi Awards in protest against "rising intolerance" in the country, Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma today said he suspected their motives for such "not called for" action.
"If you go back to people, who have done this and if we explore their motives and what has been their background, I think something revealing will come out," Mr Sharma said.
The minister's remarks came amid a slew of eminent writers returning their awards protesting against "rising intolerance" in the country.
He stressed that those deciding to hand back the honours should have written to the state or central Government if they were concerned about the law and order situation.
"If there is complaint against the law and order situation, they could have represented it to the Chief Minister of the State, Home Minister of the country or the Prime Minister. They could have written to me as a minister also. They have not done this, Mr Sharma said.
"I think that is not called for or that is not a right way of presentation. I wish they would have represented their voice and we would have joined their voice. We are with them to support their cause that no body should be killed in this country," the Union Minister said.
At least 21 authors have announced their decision to return their awards with some warning that minorities in the country today feel "unsafe and threatened".
Booker Prize winning author Salman Rushdie today joined the growing chorus of protests by leading writers against spread of "communal poison" and "rising intolerance" in the country.
Questioning the purpose behind returning the awards, Sharma, however said, "what is the theory behind, what is the philosophy behind, I cannot understand."
He said that as an individual, they have got the award, which was given to them by a group of literary persons on the basis of some of their writings, some of their books or in different languages.
"It is not a Government of India award, it is not a Padma award," he stated.