Guwahati, Oct. 13: Assamese writers Homen Borgohain and Nirupama Borgohain returned their Sahitya Akademi awards in protest against the September 28 Dadri incident in Uttar Pradesh, Narendra Modi's silence over the issue and against rising "fascist tendency" in the country.

Homen Borgohain announced his decision through a small write-up in a vernacular daily (published today). "From the day a man was killed in Dadri as a protest against killing of a cow, a protest had been inside my mind. I did not get a proper opportunity to express it. Having seen 10 (the number is more than 12 now) writers returning their Sahitya Akademi awards as a means of protest, I felt like getting a way. That is why I have publicly announced that I have returned the Sahitya Akademi award," he said.

"My symbolic protest is not only against the killing of a man in Dadri, I have also protested against the rising fascist tendency in India and against all evil forces that have been trying to hit the main ideology of Indian culture."

"Yes, I will also return the award. It is my protest against Narendra Modi's silence on the Dadri killing," Nirupama told The Telegraph.

While Homen Borgohain received the award in 1978 for his novel Pita Putra while Nirupama for her novel Abhiyatri in 1996, Nirupama received hers for the novel Abhiyatri.

The BJP's Assam prabhari (in-charge) Mahendra Singh today hit out at Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi for accusing BJP of indulging in beef politics.

On the beef controversy and Dadri incident, Singh said certain sections are trying to make an issue out of a non-issue.