File photo of former BJP ideologue Sudheendra Kulkarni, with face blackened by Sena activists, and former Pakistan minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri at the latter’s book release function in Mumbai.
File photo of former BJP ideologue Sudheendra Kulkarni, with face blackened by Sena activists, and former Pakistan minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri at the latter’s book release function in Mumbai.
Sudheendra Kulkarni, chairman, Observer Research Foundation, who was smeared with black paint by Shiv Sainiks for organising former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s book launch in Mumbai, will now travel to Pakistan to attend the launch of the same book next week. Mr Kulkarni confirmed that he has accepted the invitation extended by Mr Kasuri.
Mr Kulkarni said the launch of Mr Kasuri’s book Neither a Hawk Nor a Dove: An Insider’s Account of Pakistan’s Foreign Relations would be held in Karachi on November 2 along with a number of prominent Pakistanis and Indians. The ORF chairman made the announcement at a panel discussion during the Tata Literature Live! festival on Thursday night.
Both Mr Kulkarni and Mr Kasuri were in Delhi earlier this month in connection with the book launch. Later, the book launch was held in Mumbai despite repeated warnings by Shiv Sena to cancel the event.
Mr Kulkarni and Mr Kasuri went ahead with the event after refusing to bow to pressure. According to Mr Kulkarni, on October 12, a group of Shiv Sainiks approached him when he was getting into his car and asked him why he was going ahead with the event even though they had told him to cancel it. After threatening him, they went on to smear his face with black paint, he said.
An unabashed Mr Kulkarni held a press conference with paint on his face announcing that the event would not be cancelled in any case. Mr Kulkarni continued with the scheduled event with heavy police security.
