Award-winning Malayalam short story writer S. Hareesh has withdrawn his novel Meesha (Moustache), which was being serialised in the Mathrubhumi Weekly, following threats from Sangh Parviar outfits.

The novel, about life in Kerala half-a-century ago, had raised the hackles of Sangh Parivar activists, who found portions of a dialogue between two characters in the novel objectionable. On Friday, a group of BJP-Hindu Aikya Vedi activists vandalised an exhibition of books spirituality organised by Mathrubhumi Books at Thripunithura in Kochi protesting against the novel.

Mr. Hareesh, a clerk at the Village Office at Neendoor in Kottayam, was not immediately available for comment, but his writer-friends told The Hindu that he was under severe stress following threats to his family members.

"S. hareesh withdraws his novel 'meesha', literature is being mob lynched, darkest day in kerala's cultural history, lightless days to follow", Mathrubhumi Weekly editor Kamalram Sajeev tweeted shortly after Mr. Hareesh announced his decision to withdraw his novel.