Kolkata: Barasat district police on Tuesday dismissed allegations made by exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen that the Bengal govt cancelled performances of a play based on her controversial novel ‘Lajja (Shame)'. Nasreen alleged in a social media post on Monday that police intervened at the Gobardanga Natyoutsav in North 24 Parganas and the Pandua Natyoutsav in Hooghly, pressuring organisers to drop the play, citing concerns about potential communal unrest.
Barasat SP Pratiksha Jharkharia dismissed these claims as unfounded. "On hearing the allegation about forcing the removal of ‘Lajja' from the Gobardanga Natyoutsav, I conducted an inquiry. Both the local OC and the festival organisers, including theatre groups, confirmed they had no information about this matter. The allegation is completely baseless," the SP told TOI.
Cops in Hooghly (Rural) also denied involvement in the cancellation of the play. "We neither visited any venue nor spoke to anyone about organising or cancelling any play in Hooghly's rural areas. It was entirely the decision of the club authorities, and the police administration had no role in it," an officer said.
In her post, Nasreen wrote, "The schedule for the play ‘Lajja' was announced two months ago, but the police suddenly pressured organisers to drop it. Let me remind you, this play was staged three times in Delhi before packed audiences."
She also criticised the Bengal administration for allegedly using concerns over violence as a pretext to suppress free expression. "I was forced to leave West Bengal because of fears that my presence might provoke fundamentalists to incite riots. I still cannot understand why no action is taken against rioters while the voices of free expression by writers continue to be stifled," Nasreen said.
However, a senior member of the Gobardanga Natyoutsav organising committee, who also directs a theatre group, stated on condition of anonymity, "We don't know why she (Nasreen) mentioned Gobardanga Natyoutsav in her post. We have no information about this play being scheduled or removed from the festival lineup."
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