Blacklisting Pakistanis: Shiv Sena wants Kasuri’s book launch scrapped

Warns organisers it will disrupt today’s event in Mumbai

Days after ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali’s concert was cancelled in India, Shiv Sena has called for scrapping the book launch of Pakistan’s former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s in Mumbai.

Shiv Sena leader Ashish Chemburkar warned the management of the convention centre where the book launch is scheduled to take place today against holding the event.

In a letter, Chemburkar warned the director of Nehru Planetarium, IBN Live reported on its website.

“The people at Nehru Planetarium where the event is scheduled, told us they will try to cancel it,” Chemburkar said, adding, “We have informed them that we will disrupt the event if it is not cancelled.”

The event’s organiser, Observer Research Foundation (ORF) Mumbai, approached Maharashtra Chief Minister Devndra Fadnavis to provide “adequate security” for Kasuri’s event in case of an untoward incident.

Kasuri is set to launch his book titled, ‘Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider’s Account of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy’, at the Nehru Centre, Mumbai.

The ex-foreign minister during his stay in Mumbai between October 11 and 14 is planning to visit Mani Bhavan and Jinnah House.

“Our purpose in organising this function is to make our own humble contribution to the much-needed normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan. Kasuri’s widely appreciated book shows his strong commitment to peaceful and cooperative ties between our two countries,” ORF Chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2015.