Never in the history of independent India has an accusation as outrageous as this been made against a former prime minister— and printed and published by a reputed publishing house for worldwide circulation. Those in the UPA government who have chosen to remain silent because Roy and her fellow-activists have trained their guns at the BJP, may kindly note: the book tarnishes not only the reputation of the BJP, but it also rubbishes the prestige of India in the eyes of the international community.

Shuddhabrata Sengupta, one of the contributors, writes: “The Indian State hanged Kehar Singh when it could not find anyone else to hang in order to restore its vitality in the Indira Gandhi assassination case, and this time Mohammad Afzal must serve that necessary function.”

Roy and her fellow-essayists have raised a strange demand in the book: after convincing themselves that the Supreme Court cannot reveal the “sinister truth” behind December 13, they want an “impartial parliamentary inquiry”. How does one describe these activists who, in the guise of their ‘Save Afzal’ campaign, have mounted a full-scale “Defame India” operation? I have no answer.