The Mamata Banerjee government has come under fire for cancelling an event that would have seen discussions on Kashmir and Balochistan.
According to reports, local police pressurised the organisers to drop the event as it may hurt the sentiments of a particular community and result in law and order situation.
The event “The Saga of J&K and Balochistan” was to be held at the Calcutta Club from Saturday, with the list of its speakers including army veterans, as well as a high-profile Baloch freedom activists such as Tareq Fatah and Brahamdagh Bugti.
Both Fatah and Bugti in the past has been critical of Pakistan security forces’ role in Balochistan, where the state has been accused of committing gross human rights abuses against Baloch civilians.
BREAKING – West Bengal Govt & Kolkata Police puts pressure on @TheCalcuttaClub to cancel my talk on #Balochistan there on 7th Jan… (1/2) pic.twitter.com/WaNvMPNaTZ
— Tarek तारिक Fatah (@TarekFatah) January 4, 2017
Oh Calcutta!
Capital of the Islamic Republic of West Bengal under Her Holiness, Khalifa @MamataOfficial Banerjee. pic.twitter.com/jKMM7ATqHC— Tarek तारिक Fatah (@TarekFatah) January 5, 2017
(Source: Twitter)
Major General Gagandeep Bakshi, who was also scheduled to speak at the event, took to Facebook to blast the West Bengal government for curbing free speech.
(Source: Facebook)
Kolkata Police has reportedly washed their hands of the matter, claiming that they came to know about event’s cancellation through a notice from Calcutta Club.
