An event scheduled to be attended in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city by author Shamsul Islam, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and others on Friday, has been cancelled by authorities in charge of the venue citing “government orders”, NDTV reported.
In a letter dated March 25, authorities at the Textile Development Trust, which runs the venue, Jall Auditorium, told the organisers that the event will not be allowed due to “unavoidable reasons”.
Islam, a retired professor of the Delhi University, told NDTV, that he has been holding talks across the country on the need for religious harmony.
“Some people are trying to create a divide between Hindus and Muslims,” he told the news channel. “ I want to read Maulana Hasrat Mohani’s song about Lord Krishna. I have read this in 20 places in Bhopal and there has been no problem. But they want me to stop.”
Author Ashok Kumar Pandey, who was also supposed to attend the event wrote on Twitter that the attendees would have held a discussion on the Constitution.
“Not a big deal,” Pandey wrote on Twitter about the cancellation. “We will come again, we will speak again. We will speak wherever there is space.”
In reply to Pandey’s tweet, a user posted a copy of the letter sent by the Textile Development Trust.
Textile Development Trust Secretary MC Rawat told NDTV that they received information from the administration that the event could not be allowed to be held at the Jall Auditorium.
“The government told us not to allow it...Tomorrow, if the government says they want to take over this desk, I will have to give it,” Rawat told the news channel, thumping his desk, NDTV reported.
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