Gandhi event shifted due to ‘techincal reasons’, China clarifies

New Delhi: China on Thursday said India’s celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in Beijing was shifted because of “technical reasons” and

New Delhi: China on Thursday said India’s celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in Beijing was shifted because of “technical reasons” and not for denial of permission to hold the event at a public park.

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The celebration on Wednesday had been hurriedly shifted to the Indian embassy after official permission was denied for it to be held at Chaoyang Park a day before the event, HT reported on October 3.

Chinese embassy spokesperson Ji Rong said, “We have learned that due to the celebration activities of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Indian embassy in China has been advised to hold this year’s 150th birth anniversary celebration of Mahatma Gandhi somewhere else.” Ji added, “It is purely for technical reasons.”

Mahatma Gandhi is an important historical figure who led India to independence, and is widely respected in China and the world, Ji said. “The Chinese side welcomes the hosting of relevant events in China to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi,” JI said.

The October 2 event had been annually held for more than a decade at a folk art museum at Chaoyang Park, a sprawling and popular public park in Beijing that has the only sculpture of Gandhi in China.

The tradition was set to continue until authorities at Jintai Art Museum, the venue, informed the Indian embassy on Tuesday that the Beijing government had denied permission to hold the event.