National Urdu Council withdraws conference invite to 9 Pakistani litterateurs
New Delhi, Feb 19: The National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language has withdrawn its invitation to nine Pakistani litterateurs for the World Urdu Conference in wake of the Pulwama attack, officials said Tuesday.
The NCPUL, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), was set up to promote, develop and propagate Urdu language.
"The coward attack which has taken place in Pulwama has left the entire country furious. A country which is involved in such acts, it is not a wise thing to invite their writers to the celebrate literature here," said NCUPL Director Aquil Ahmed.
"We have withdrawn our invitation to nine Pakistani writers for the conference to register our protest against the attack and keeping the sentiments of the country in mind," Ahmed added.
The Wold Urdu Conference, an annual event organised by NCPUL, is scheduled to be held next month and will witness participation of Urdu scholars from across the globe.
Forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district last week when a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus.
In the wake of the attack, the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) had on Monday announced a blanket ban on Pakistani actors and artists working in the Indian film industry.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Remarks against St Francis Xavier: Right-wing speaker Gautam Khattar gets bail
Panaji (PTI): A court in Goa on Saturday granted bail to right-wing speaker Gautam Khattar, who was arrested after he allegedly made derogatory comments against St Francis Xavier.
Judicial Magistrate First Class, Vasco, granted regular bail to Khattar, currently admitted to Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim for treatment of chest pain after he was shifted from the District Hospital in Mapusa two days back.
A row erupted after a video of remarks by Khattar, the founder of Sanatan Mahasangh, at an event on April 18 in the presence of Swami Brahmeshanand, State Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho and BJP MLAs Sankulp Amonkar and Daji (Krishna) Salkar, went viral.
St Francis Xavier is revered as the patron saint of Goa.
The controversial remarks led to the Vasco Police registering an FIR against Khattar on charges of hurting religious sentiments and creating enmity between groups.
He was detained in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, by local police. His custody was later handed over to the Goa Crime Branch, according to officials.
