New Delhi: The government on Friday blocked two Pakistani diplomats from travelling to Jaipur for the ongoing Literature Festival in the city. Sources said that the decision was taken after consulting the Centre. The two officials had applied for permission to travel to Jaipur and Ajmer but will now have to miss it.
Sources said that this was not an unusual practice and that Pakistan too restricted movement of Indian diplomats on different occasions. The government has given no reason for denying permission to the two officials.
Festival organiser Sanjoy Roy said that it was the MEA's call to bar the two diplomats. "It's the MEA's call. We havn't invited them. The government must do what they think is right. It has nothing to do with the Jaipur Literature Festival. So I have no comments to make on it."
The Festival began on Thursday under heavy security with Pakistani authors attending the programme as scheduled.
Controversy surrounded the festival again this year with the Bharatiya Janata Party's youth-wing protesting against the participation of Pakistani authors following the tension at the Line of Control.
Friday is the second day of the Festival. Javed Akhtar, Shabana Aazmi, Nandan Nilekani and Sharmila Tagore will be among the key personalities attending the fest during the day.
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