Police on Tuesday dismissed claims of exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen that the West Bengal government cancelled shows of a play based on her controversial novel 'Lajja' (Shame), stating that the decision to remove it from the schedule of theatre festivals was solely that of the organisers.
Senior police officers of Hooghly (Rural) and Barasat police district claimed that no one from the district administration or the police department had any clue that the shows were called off.
"We had not gone to any place nor spoken to anyone regarding the organising of any play here in Hooghly rural areas. It is the decision of the club authorities and the police administration has nothing to do with it," an officer told PTI.
Nasreen alleged on Monday that police intervened at the Gobardanga Natyoutsav in North 24 Parganas and the Pandua Natyoutsav in Hooghly, pressuring organisers to remove the play from the schedule, citing concerns that it could provoke communal riots.
"While the schedule of the play had been announced two months back, all of a sudden the police prevailed upon the organisers to omit 'Lajja' from the list. Let me remind you, a theatre group had staged the same play three times in Delhi before a packed auditorium," she wrote in a post.
The play on 'Lajja' was scheduled on December 29, but has been stalled "due to some specific reasons", a club official of Pandua, Hooghly, said.
Declining to elaborate the "specifics", he said, "We have put up a notice in this regard on the social networking sites. We will soon announce the alternate play." Another senior police officer of Barasat described Nasreen's claims as "baseless".
"No such thing happened in Barasat. This is misinformation and the claims are baseless," he said.
Nasrin criticised the West Bengal administration for using the excuse that the play could lead to violence.
She lamented, "I was forced to leave West Bengal with the apprehension that my presence would provoke fundamentalists to engineer riots. I can't fathom why no action is taken against the rioters and the voices of free expression by writers are being muzzled." The BJP backed Nasrin's claims, with Union minister Sukanta Majumdar accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of hypocrisy.
"The little difference between fundamentalists in Bangladesh and West Bengal Chief Minister has ceased to exist, as she is not allowing a popular stage play of protest against fundamentalism, apprehending it will lead to riots," Majumdar said.
He also alleged that Banerjee has ignored attacks on Hindu places of worship and desecration of idols in West Bengal while silencing intellectuals who oppose her policies.
BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya posted, "If Mamata Banerjee is unable to manage law and order in Bengal and is so intimidated by Muslim veto that even art, culture, and freedom of expression are being stifled, then she should consider stepping down."
Organisers of the Gobardanga theatre festival confirmed that 'Lajja' was removed from the lineup, but they declined to provide any further reasons. State police officials have neither confirmed nor denied the involvement of the administration in halting the play.
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