West Bengal Urdu Academy postpones event to be attended by Javed Akhtar after protests by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind

Kolkata, Aug 30 (IANS) The West Bengal Urdu Academy, on Saturday, postponed its four-day cultural event starting from August 31, which was scheduled to be attended by renowned poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar.

Nuzhat Zainab, West Bengal Urdu Academy Secretary, said the event was postponed due to unavoidable circumstances.

In a brief press statement, Zainab said, "Due to unavoidable circumstances, the four-day programme of the West Bengal Urdu Academy scheduled from August 31 to September 3, is being postponed."

However, sources said the event has been postponed after Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind's Kolkata unit raised their formal objection to Javed Akhtar being the chief guest to the Urdu Academy event.

A few days back, the political outfit wrote a letter to the West Bengal Urdu Academy in this regard.

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind's Kolkata unit General Secretary Zillur Rahman Arif opposed the invitation of Javed Akhtar as the chief guest at the Kolkata Mushaira.

"We have sent a letter to the Urdu Academy. We have appealed to the Vice-Chairman of the Urdu Academy that this programme is a matter of joy for the whole of West Bengal, but inviting Javed Akhtar to it has caused a lot of unease among people. Javed Akhtar has spoken a lot of bad things against Islam, against Muslims, and against Allah. This person is not a human but a devil in human guise. Do not include Javed Akhtar in this programme," he said.

He added that the event is a matter of joy for the whole of West Bengal, but inviting Akhtar to it has caused a lot of unease among the people within the Muslim community.

In the letter, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind said that it is not right to invite such a person to any prestigious programme in the Urdu language.

"There are many good poets, writers, and journalists in the Urdu world who can be invited to this programme," it added.

--IANS

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