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New Delhi, Feb 19: The National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language has withdrawn its invitation to nine Pakistani litterateurs for the World Urdu Conference in wake of the Pulwama attack, officials said Tuesday.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"We have withdrawn our invitation to nine Pakistani writers for the conference to register our protest against the attack and keeping the sentiments of the country in mind,"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.
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Two held at Bengaluru airport with hydroponic ganja worth Rs 5.79 cr
Bengaluru (PTI): Two people were arrested at the Kempegowda International Airport here for attempting to smuggle hydroponic ganja valued at Rs 5.79 crore, upon their arrival from Bangkok on Wednesday, officials said
They seized 16.54 kg of hydroponic ganja, which was concealed in the checked-in baggage, the Bengaluru Customs said in a post on 'X'.
Both the accused were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, it said.
Meanwhile, the Customs officials at the Bengaluru Airport also disposed of 287.5 kg of Ganja (Hydroponic Weed) and 1.17 kg of Cocaine seized under the NDPS Act, 1985, in accordance with CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs) Disposal Manual on March 17, it said in another post.
