Former Panchjanya editor is new NBT chief

Baldevbhai Sharma, who retired from the RSS mouthpiece in 2013, replaces A Sethumadhavan

The government on Monday appointed Baldevbhai Sharma, former editor of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh mouthpiece Panchajanya, as the new chairman of the National Book Trust (NBT).

Sharma, who retired from the Panchjanya on February 13, 2013, is currently the editor of  Hindi publication National Duniya. He replaces A Sethumadhavan after the latter’s term was cut short by the government.

According to sources in the Bharatiya janata Party, Sethumadhavan, popularly known as Sethu, was a Left-leaning Malayalam novelist and the decision to replace him was taken months ago.  Sethumadhavan was called to the human resource development ministry on February 25 and told to put in his papers, as the ministry was planning to appoint a new person in his place. He resigned the same day and was on Monday informed his resignation had been accepted and a replacement appointed.