Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar on Wednesday defended the state government's decision to reverse the award for the Marathi translation of former Maoist ideologue Kobad Ghandy's memoir, saying giving the prize would have meant the government's "stamp of approval" for Naxalism.

A row has erupted after the state government rolled back the decision of a selection committee and withdrew the Late Yashwantrao Chavan Literature Award 2021 for Anagha Lele for her translation of Ghandy's "Fractured Freedom: A Prison Memoir", six days after announcing the prize on December 6.