BJP leader Shazia Ilmi on Wednesday accused Jamia Millia Islamia of putting “pressure” on organisers of an event to drop her name from a panel of speakers for a seminar on triple talaq.
Ms. Ilmi said that the event, originally scheduled for February 16, was first postponed and then her name was dropped and the topic of discussion was also changed. Jamia has denied these allegations.
Ms. Ilmi attributed the alleged last-minute cancellation to “double standards” regarding freedom of speech.“What is usually portrayed is pressure from the ABVP to cancel events and talks but the reality is completely the opposite. The fact of the matter is that I was called to speak but there was a lot of pressure on the organisers to go back on the invite from no less but the level of the vice-chancellor,” Ms. Ilmi said.
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Ms. Ilmi, an alumna of the university, questioned the rationale behind apprehensions of a law and order contingency had she been allowed to speak alleging that the cancellation was an attack on her freedom of speech.
“The episode has exposed hypocrisy in relation to freedom of speech; when it comes to your point of view, you will say what you feel even if it relates to the disintegration of the country but when it comes to a counter-narrative you will trample upon the same right of others. You will not allow Shazia Ilmi to speak because she is with the BJP,” Ms. Ilmi said.
Reacting to the allegations, a spokesperson of Jamia Millia Islamia said that the event was not organised by the university or any of its departments.
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Jamia denies allegations
“The university auditorium was rented out to the organisers of the event. When we do this, the university has nothing to do with the event, the subject of the event or the speakers at the event. All we hope for is that the university property is not damaged,” said the spokesperson.
The university denied the allegations that pressure was put by the university on the organisers.
Organisers of the event however, alleged that Jamia has advised them to make some changes saying the atmosphere at universities in the city were not conducive to have such a discussion.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari condemned the reported last-minute cancellation of permission to organise a seminar on triple talaaq given to a social organisation at the university. “The denial of permission to hold a seminar on triple talaaq is in itself a matter of denial of freedom of expression and it must be established under whose pressure university authorities denied the permission,” Mr. Tiwari said.
BJP spokesperson Praveen Kapoor alleged the involvement of “Team Sitaram Yechury and Arvind Kejriwal” behind the cancellation questioning why advocates of freedom of speech at Delhi University pulled out all the stops to restrict Ms. Ilmi from speaking.