Panaji: Goa government’s annual lecture series had name of prominent journalist Faye D’Souza being dropped due to her anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) stand.
The event “D D Kosambi Festival of Ideas” organised by State Art and Culture department had D’Souza amongst others in the list of speakers.
State Art and Culture Minister Govind Gawade told reporters on Friday that the name of D’Souza has been dropped due to her anti-CAA stand as the organizers wanted to avoid any controversy surrounding the event.
“She was shortlisted in the list of guests but we were told that she speaks against the CAA. We wanted to avoid mess and chaos around the event,” the minister said.
Gawade said that since the event is a government sponsored, the organizers did not want any controversies surrounding it.
The event would be held from January 27 to January 30 at Kala Academy in Panaji.
He ruled that the instructions to drop her name had come from chief minister’s or Prime Minister’s office.
D’Souza was initially supposed to speak on January 29.
“PM and CM has always said that they are ready for the debate on CAA. There is no question of any instructions from them,” he said.
The other speakers for the event includes weightlifter and Olympic medal winner Karnam Malleshwari, Para-Olympic Games medal winner Deepa Malik and Chhavi Rajawat, India’s first woman sarpanch with an MBA degree.
