Sahitya Akademi award-winning author Vikram Sampath has stepped down as one of the directors of Bangalore Literature Festival in the wake of three Kannada writers deciding to boycott the event over his remarks on the return of awards and stance on the Tipu Sultan row. <br/><br/>After quitting the post yesterday, Mr Sampath said he hopes that the protesting writers would feel more comfortable about participating in the event following his withdrawal. He had taken a stand against the move by eminent personalities to return their government-conferred awards amidst claims of rising intolerance in the country. Over the Tipu Sultan row, he had said that there was a need for recognizing multiple narratives in Indian historiography.