Indian police stop a conference of activists and academics discussing G20 issues ahead of summit
Associated PressNEW DELHI — Indian police intervened to stop a meeting of prominent activists, academics and politicians discussing global issues ahead of a summit of the Group of 20 industrialized and developing nations that will be hosted in New Delhi next month, the meeting’s organizers said Sunday. The meeting also featured speakers who were critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government’s role in hosting the G-20 summit, saying it was using the event to bolster Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of a general election next year. Meeting organizers for the “We20” conference said they received a letter from New Delhi police on Sunday morning telling them to end the meeting since it did not have the proper permission in a high-security zone, according to Kavita Kabeer, a spokesperson for the group. We20 meeting organizers said the G-20 is a “popular networking event for the rich and powerful, under the pretense of saving the world.” The Indian government has mounted an advertising campaign ahead of the G-20 summit to showcase the country’s growing global clout under Modi, Communist Party of India leader Brinda Karat said.