BANGALORE: Jnanpith awardee U R Ananthamurthy (URA), who has been openly critical of Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi, has been living under police protection for the past week.

URA, 81, was provided protection suo motu from May 16, the day results of the Lok Sabha elections were declared. Police said that the protection was first provided in anticipation of an untoward incident. It is noteworthy that the BJP Shimoga unit had sent him an itinerary of a one-way trip to Pakistan after the results were announced.

However, the police has strengthened the protection after URA complained orally about him receiving threat and hate calls on Sunday. As on Tuesday, a platoon of the City Armed Reserve (CAR) is guarding his house in RMV 2nd Stage here. Speaking to a television channel, URA confirmed that he has received threat calls. "...I am not active on the social media, but I have been getting these calls," he was quoted by a Kannada channel as having said.

His counterparts from the literary field have strongly criticised the events that followed the results, and, even the Left had come to his support condemning BJP's act (of sending flight tickets).

Terming it unfortunate, writer K Marulasiddappa said URA is being targeted for expressing his views on Modi. "In a democracy, everyone has the right to speak and express opinions. It is regrettable that no responsible leader of the BJP has been able to control the reactions of young cadres of the party. Instead, they are provoking them to act. Let us wait and see what will happen in the next 5 years," he said.

Director Girish Kasaravalli, stating that he was furious that such things are happening in a democratic country said: "Ananthamurthy said he would leave the country if Modi becomes PM. You cannot take its meaning literally. There is anger behind it. Even H D Deve Gowda said he would not visit Mysore if JD (S) candidate does not win. No one should create an atmosphere where one cannot express his or her opinion. If such a situation arises, where is the value for democracy. Even L K Advani may not agree to what some of the people are doing to stifle the voice of Ananthamurthy."

"Following URA's call this we have deployed force in front of his house and the local police inspector would visit the writer twice every day and take stock of the situation," Police Commissioner Raghavendra H Auradkar said, adding that the protection detail will be in place till the writer requires it.

He, however, said that the department is not investigating into the matter (on the calls) as the writer has not filed a police complaint. "...The intimation given to us was oral, thus there will not be any investigation into the matter," Auradkar said.