The West Bengal Urdu Academy has postponed a scheduled ‘mushaira’ featuring renowned lyricist Javed Akhtar amid protests from Muslim groups.
Citing that Akhtar’s previous comments have injured their religious sentiments, these groups called for the event to feature less controversial figures.
Despite the uproar, the academy has yet to provide an official reason for the delay.
Reacting to the postponement, several Left student organizations criticized the move. They considered it an affront to secularism and intellectual freedom, openly inviting Akhtar to speak on the contribution of Urdu in Bollywood at a separate event in Delhi.
(With inputs from agencies.)
