Chandigarh/New Delhi: Eminent Punjabi writer and Padma Shri winner Dalip Kaur Tiwana on Tuesday decided to return her award protesting 'recurrent atrocities' on Muslims in the country as another Kannada writer joined authors giving up their Sahitya Akademi Awards against 'growing intolerance'.

In a related development, Booker Prize winning author Salman Rushdie came out strongly against 'thuggish violence' while dismissing criticism by 'Modi Toadies', saying he supported no political party.