Permission for seminar in DU on Ambedkar cancelled at the last minute, allege organisers

Delhi University's Cluster Innovation Centre today allegedly withdrew at the last minute its permission to conduct a seminar on B R Ambedkar, prompting the organisers to cry foul.

The seminar 'B.R Ambedkar's Idea of India, Dalit Empowerment and its Challenges' was scheduled to be held tomorrow at 1.30 pm in the CIC seminar room in commemoration of Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14.

The speakers included - Rajya Sabha MP and RJD national spokesperson Manoj Jha, JNU research scholar Bal Gangadhar Baghi and a Dalit activist Harish Gautam.

Nishant, one of the organisers and a final year BA Humanities and Social Science(CIC) student, claimed they had already got the preliminary permission on April 9 for holding the seminar.

"We had also called the speakers, pasted posters in various departments and colleges of North Campus, created an event on social networking sites," he said.

"My programme coordinator today informed me about denial of permission and at around 2 pm the CIC director told me we cannot hold this event. Instead he asked us to participate in the event which the university is conducting on April 14 in which Union Social Justice Minister was taking part, " he told PTI.

Cluster Innovation Centre Director Harinder P Singh did not respond to calls or messages from PTI.

Nishant alleged that the programme "has been cancelled under pressure of some groups and individuals who are against the idea of Babasheb".

"They don't want that his ideas should reach the masses and are against any dialogue on the issue of caste," he alleged and questioned the "abruptness" with which the permission for the programme was cancelled by the department.