JNU denies 'external pressure', says no seminar on West Asia cancelled, one postponed
The Hindu
JNU denies ‘external pressure’, says no seminar on West Asia cancelled, one postponed
Asserting that it wants to provide a platform for balanced discussions, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Friday (October 25, 2024) said it has cancelled no seminar on the West Asian conflict but had to postpone one where Iranian Ambassador Iraj Elahi was scheduled to speak due to logistical and protocol reasons.
Amitabh Mattoo, the Dean of the School of International Studies (SIS), said the university plans to invite Mr. Elahi, who was supposed to addresses a seminar on the subject on Thursday (October 25, 2024) on a rescheduled date soon, likely next month.
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He said that invitations for two other events, on November 7 where Palestinian ambassador was supposed to speak and another one on November 14 when Lebanese ambassadors was to speak, were not sent through official channels so there is no question of cancelling them.
He said there was no "external pressure" behind the university's decision and they want to "maintain the integrity of our academic platforms".
His remarks come a day after seminar coordinator Sima Baidya informed students about the postponement of the Iranian ambassador's seminar and the cancellation of the two other events due to "unavoidable circumstances".
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