Wharton invites Kejriwal, but not as Modi's replacement

March 05, 2013 08:38

Confusion prevailed over who will deliver the keynote address at the Wharton India Economic Forum after the University cancelled its invitation to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi citing fears of "polarising reactions".

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal has been invited to address the students, though 'not as a keynote speaker'.

The University said it has not made any decision on who will be Modi's replacement, but reports hinted that Kejriwal is likely to address the forum on March 23 via video-conferencing.

Meanwhile, opinions remained sharply divided over the Wharton snub to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. While the BJP slammed US's "double standards", Wharton professors maintained that their stand against Modi is based on facts and human rights records in Gujarat.

"We should question the law on the basis of which the US has denied him visa. To go on perpetrating the point because the argument of which they have denied him visa is questionable. If the question of denying visa itself is on wrong argument, is it right for us to go on that presumption and go on building on it?," questioned BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman.

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