Protest against U Penn's decision on Modi on 23rd

New York, March 15th: Americans for Free Speech (AFS) is conducting a demonstration at the University of Pennsylvania campus on Saturday March 23 from 12 PM to 2:30 PM EST on the occasion of Wharton India Economic Forum meeting. The venue is in front of Penn Museum (on South Street between 33rd and 32nd streets). The demonstration is against the Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF) summary dis-invitation of Mr. Narendra Modi after having extended him a formal invitation to be the keynote speaker. Narendra Modi may be the future Prime Minister of India in the near future. This craven action was due to Mr. Modi's alleged human rights violations by only three professors, none of whom are from the business school. All these charges are patently false based on recent Supreme Court of India report.

Buses are being arranged from Edison, NJ, Jersey City, NJ and Queens, NY. We request protest attendees to register at our website http://WhartonProtest.blogspot.com as soon as possible, so that we can arrange for more buses if needed. US Congressmen, American Civil Rights Groups, and distinguished members of Indian American Community will be speaking at the meeting.

AFS is an organization formed in response to this unprecedented and undemocratic action by the University of Pennsylvania under pressure from a minority of students. This action makes a travesty of the norms of academic debate in a civilized society. The protest represents the outrage of the Indian American Community, Wharton and UPenn alumni, UPenn faculty, civil rights groups and other supporters. We feel that Wharton has done grave injustice to its own principles of Freedom of Speech, to the principles on which our great country is built.

After extensive investigations, the highly respected Supreme Court of India completely exonerated Narendra Modi from charges by ideologues, for whom, sadly, truth does not seem to be the highest virtue. The 'migr' Indian community is distressed that a few malafide activists at the University of Pennsylvania are engaging in blatantly false propaganda. These faculty activists are not only depriving the university of healthy debate but also setting up a bad example with their untruths. Things have come to such a pass today that these malafide activists repeating unproven and cooked up charges of human rights abuses of Narendra Modi have crossed the line. They are now abusing the human rights of Narendra Modi himself.

What is even more shameful is that this is being done to a person who has done more for human rights of the minority communities in his state than any other chief minister in India. His shrewd and sustained economic stewardship giving equal opportunity for advancement to all without discrimination is today considered a beacon without peer in India. This even by distinguished religious leaders of the minority community in India. (For specific details, please do visit our website http://whartonprotest.blogspot.com for the various lies and agitprop being propagated against Narendra Modi).

AFS requested all members of the 'migr' Indian community and their mainstream friends here to support our demonstration. Even if you are not in NY/NJ/CT area, please do inform your friends and relatives in this area to come and participate.