Nixing Narendra Modi’s Wharton invite was wrong: Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal has expressed his dismay over the decision of Wharton business school to cancel an invitation to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi to address a gathering via a video link.


Addressing an audience at the prestigious business school, Kejriwal said, "I would like to put on record my dismay at the cancellation of his invitation to speak at this forum," joining several other prominent persons who have criticized the decision on Modi.

Wharton cancelled Modi's interaction following protests initiated by academics of Indian origin who felt the event was inappropriate as it could have helped in legitimizing the leader despite cases relating to the 2002 riots still pending in court.

The Adani group cancelled its sponsorship of the event after the business school heeded to the anti-Modi protests and Shiv Sena leader and former power minister Suresh Prabhu declined to address a forum there.

At the start of his address, Kejriwal said, "There is something that is troubling me. Therefore before I start, I would like to get it out of the way. I am not a supporter of Mr Modi. In fact I don't agree with him on many things and have publicly opposed him on many occasions. However, I would like to put on record my dismay at the cancellation of his invitation to speak at this forum."

Kejirwal said his unease stems on three counts. "To issue an invitation and then cancel it under pressure is not right. It is very wrong. It is unbecoming of an institution carrying the respected Wharton name," he said.

The activist-turned-politician said, "those who refuse to listen to people they do not agree with, they lose an opportunity to learn and grow" and added that the denial of permission to Modi to speak went against the principles of free speech that many are fighting for.

Kejriwal's criticism of Wharton comes after BJP and pro-Modi groups sharply attacked Wharton for succumbing to what they said were pressure tactics of left-leaning academics who were ideologically opposed to the party and the Gujarat CM.