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New Delhi/Kolkata: The West Bengal government has forced a club in Kolkata to cancel an event about the restive Balochistan province.
The event called “The Saga of Balochistan, What the World Needs to Know” was scheduled to be held at the Calcutta Club on January 07.
However, it now stands cancelled.
According to Pakistan-born Canadian author Tarek Fatah, the club cancelled the event, in which he was to speak on Pakistan’s atrocities in Balochistan, under the pressure of the Mamata Banerjee government.
He further asked if the West Bengal Chief Minister was supporting Pakistan.
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The club said the event was called off in a bid ‘to ensure cordial atmosphere’.
In an e-mail sent on January 04 to the organisers, the club said it was not in a position to hold the event due to “unavoidable circumstances”.
Meanwhile, Colonel Diptangshu Chaudhury, one of the event’s organisers, was quoted as saying by DNA: “The club had agreed to hold the event. On December 30, an executive meeting was called and we were asked to drop the word ‘Kashmir’ from the event keeping in mind the issue being sensitive. We had agreed on that and we got new passes and posters printed without the name Kashmir on it. On January 4, suddenly we get a mail from the club authorities that they have called off the event. We had paid the advance too. Now it is impossible to shift the venue in such a short notice.”
He further alleged: “We have learnt that a meeting took place between the authorities and senior officials of Kolkata Police. The senior officials asked the authorities to cancel the event.”
Additional Commissioner of Kolkata Police (I), Vineet Goyal has, however, said, “The club had earlier sought permission from us. But today they informed us that the event stands cancelled.”
On being asked if the Kolkata Police had raised any objections to the event taking place, he refused to make any comment.
In the meantime, here is a series of tweets by Tarek Fatah:
