Modi not to visit Cambridge: FS

thestatesman.com
Posted at: Nov 10 2015 7:32PM

 

thumb

Amid protest against his visit by a section of the students and faculty of the Cambridge University, the government announced on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not visiting the premier institute during his visit to the UK later this week.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said: “At no stage was the prime minister to go to Cambridge. It was never on the cards and it is not an issue.”

The top official was addressing a briefing ahead of Modi’s November 12-14 UK visit.

A group of students and faculty members of Cambridge had written to the Vice Chancellor Leszek Borysiewicz protesting his decision to invite Modi. They said that by inviting Modi the university would be seen condoning “ongoing attacks on academic freedom and freedom of expression in India”.

The “Faculty, Students and Alumni of Cambridge”, in a letter addressed to Borysiewicz, said that Modi’s visit will “bring disrepute” to the university.

“Given that your invitation comes at a time when several prominent Indian writers and intellectuals are returning their state honours in protest against the ongoing assault on civil liberties and academic freedom under Modi’s government, we believe that his presence at our institution will bring the university into serious disrepute,” states the letter.
Read more at http://www.thestatesman.com/mobi/news/latest-headlines/modi-not-to-visit-cambridge-fs/103002.html#vVkDmWX2WQxYHPW2.99