MEERUT: After strong protests from BJP's local unit in Meerut, district administration - citing "law and order issues" - asked the organisers of the renowned All India Mushaira to remove the name of award-winning Urdu poetess Shabeena Adeeb from the list of invitees on the eve of the event. Members of the partyhad in Meerut accused Adeeb of "making anti-Modi and anti-Yogi remarks" in the past.
Adeeb's support for anti-CAA protesters in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh also allegedly did not go down well with them, reports Krishna Chaudhary.
BJP district president Suresh Jain Rituraj told TOI: "A controversial video of Adeeb has come to the fore, following which, we suspected that she would become a threat to the law and order situation in Meerut. So, we spoke to the administration."
Chief development officer Nupur Goel added, "If due to the presence of an individual, a law and order problem arises then we should take care of it to prevent such a situation." On Friday, the party's Meerut unit spokesperson Amit Sharma had called a meeting under the chairmanship of district president and mayor to protest against Adeeb's presence at the event. The meeting was later 'called off'.
Dr Mairajuddin Ahmed, of the organising committee, said, "Shabeena Adeeb told us that she is under the weather and can't attend the event." Adeeb was unavailable to comment on the matter.
English (US) ·