Following threat from Hindu outfit, Pune college cancels Tushar Gandhi lecture on Mahatma

College authorities said that the extremist organisation Patitpavan threatened a protest in the college if Tushar Gandhi was allowed in the college.
Modern College in Pune.
Modern College in Pune.

PUNE: After a threat letter from extremist Hindutva organisation Patitpavan, the Modern College in Pune was forced to cancel the scheduled program on Saturday for the commemoration of 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in Pune.

Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi posted the message on social media, "Today Modern College Pune was forced to cancel a program scheduled for tomorrow celebrating the 150th anniversary of Bapu because they invited me, Patitpavan Sanstha threatened to disrupt the program if I was present. The Goli Maro Gang in Action," Gandhi tweeted.

Gajanan Ekbote, chairman of Progressive Education Society which runs the Modern College in Pune, said that the college is not against Gandhi's ideologies. "I had spoken with Tushar Gandhi on Thursday late night and informed the details of threatening letters. We have planned to arrange Tushar Gandhi’s lecture in next 15 days in our college. We are not against Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi is part of our college syllabus and study," Ekbote clarified.

However, social activists condemned the act of college and its management for cowing down to the pressure of Hindutva organisation like Patitpavan. "The Congress-NCP ruled Maha Vikas Aghadi government is there but they failed to provide the security to Tushar Gandhi. This is a shameful act," said social activist Kumar Saptarshi.

Ekbote said that a student member of Patitpavan organisation showed a video of Tushar's controversial speeches and requested them not to allow such a controversial person to deliver a lecture. "If Tushar Gandhi’s lecture is cancelled, then they threatened a protest in the college. The examinations for other courses are going on. We do not want the law and order situation to get disturbed. Therefore, as a precautionary note, this decision was taken," Ekbote said.

State home minister Anil Deshmukh said that he will make inquiry of this incident and actions will be taken against the guilty.

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