The background causative issues include present government policies in India towards national culture, and the publication of the book by Rajiv Malhotra (USA) called The Battle for Sanskrit. I haven't seen the book, but it appears to be an attack on Sheldon Pollock's scholarship. Malhotra is a rich American who funds attacks on American scholars of Indian studies etc.
My response to the petition was posted to the INDOLOGY forum on 27 Feb.:
Some media responses:- https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/03/01/scholars-india-demand-harvard-u-press-drop-its-well-respected-editor
- http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160302/jsp/frontpage/story_72368.jsp
- http://thewire.in/2016/03/02/what-the-petition-against-the-sanskritist-sheldon-pollock-is-really-about-23357/
- http://scroll.in/article/804323/make-in-india-and-remove-sheldon-pollock-from-murty-classical-library-demand-132-intellectuals
- http://dsanghi.blogspot.ca/2016/02/murty-classical-library-petition-to.html (former Dean of Academic Affairs, IIT Kanpur)
- http://thewire.in/2016/03/10/swadeshi-indology-and-the-destruction-of-sanskrit-24450/
- http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/education/rohan-murty-says-american-indologist-sheldon-pollock-to-stay/articleshow/51231553.cms
- https://networks.h-net.org/node/22055/discussions/116106/controversy-over-editorship-south-asia-classical-translation
- http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/lead-article-by-ananya-vajpeyi-why-sheldon-pollock-matters/article8361572.ece
