Shiv Sena fights ‘Made in Pakistan’ exhibition

“We want to send a strong message all those who invite musicians,sportsmen and artistes from Pakistan that this will not do. The exhibition can’t continue. They will simply have to pack their bags and go. If not,we will intensify our protest,” said Shiv Sena spokesperson Subhash Desai.

The protest broke up after several protesters were taken away by Cuffe Parade police and detained at the police station. Ravindra Shisve,deputy commissioner of police Zone-1,said 20-25 were detained for a while and booked under the Bombay Police Act.

The Shiv Sena protest comes a day after workers from the Maharashtra Navnriman Chitrapat Karmachari Sena,the cine wing of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena,submitted a letter to Colors television channel warning them that work at Colours studios if they aired it.

Wares from nearly 90 Pakistani traders are being showcased at the exhibition,organized by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry and supported by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

An official at the World Trade Centre said talks are on with Shiv Sena and hoped the issue would be resolved without having to call off the exhibition.

“This is part of a trade promotion programme and has got nothing to do with politics. In fact,this exhibition is a response to a similar exhibition titled ‘Made in India’ in Lahore earlier,” he said.

Rehan Taj,one of the organizers of the exhibition in charge of logistics said,“Although authorities have been cooperative with us at an official level,we have been facing many problems on the ground level. So many of our stalls are still vacant because wares of these traders have not received Customs clearance at Amritsar and Atari because the processes are long.”