Dr. Syed Ahmad Khan, President of the Urdu Development Organisation, and General Secretary Dr.ParwazUloom issued a joint statement expressing surprise and disappointment over the Delhi government not inviting journalists associated with Urdu newspapers to its Diwali press conference.
Dr. Syed Ahmad Khan said that considering any language as belonging to a particular religion or sect is absolutely wrong, and those who view Urdu with prejudice are insulting the Indian Constitution as well as the nation.
He further said that during the recent two-day visit of Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India, women journalists were not invited to the press conference, which caused an uproar in sections of the media and society – and now the Delhi government has done something similar.
This incident has created unease among Urdu-speaking citizens because Urdu is not only the second national-level language after Hindi, but also the second official language of the Delhi government.
Dr. Syed Ahmad Khan also expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of the Delhi Urdu Academy and reiterated the demand for the immediate formation of its governing council. He added that the academies of other languages should not be compared with Urdu because Urdu is an official language of the Delhi government, and fulfilling its due rights is the government’s moral and constitutional responsibility.