Islamic groups object to his reported remarks on religion as a Kolkata Urdu event is postponed
In August 2025, Jamiat Ulema groups and the Wahyain Foundation objected to the West Bengal Urdu Academy inviting Javed Akhtar, citing his public remarks on religion and Islam. The academy postponed its four-day Urdu in Hindi Cinema event, citing unavoidable circumstances. Writers and a rights group criticised the move, and Akhtar said he faced resentment from both sides.
Editorial timeline of public reporting, not a legal finding.
- Clerics meet academy officials to object to the invitation, as reported - The Times of India reported that clerics from several organisations met West Bengal Urdu Academy officials and protested the invitation to Akhtar. Mufti Abdus Salam Qasmi of the West Bengal Jamiat said Akhtar's atheism was his personal choice but that views he expressed on public forums had hurt the sentiments of a section of Muslims. Urdu Academy defers Javed Akhtar event after protests
- Jamiat letter and postponement citing unavoidable circumstances - Hindustan Times reported that the Bengal Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind wrote to the academy saying Akhtar's presence would hurt minority sentiments. The Hindu reported that academy secretary Nuzhat Zainab announced, hours before the start, that the August 31 to September 3 programme was postponed due to unavoidable circumstances, with academy sources linking it to the objections. Islamic groups opposed to inviting Javed Akhtar force Bengal's Urdu Academy to call off literary event
- Writers and a rights group criticise calling off the event, as reported - The Indian Express reported that calling off the event drew a backlash from writers and intellectuals over freedom of expression, and that the Association for the Protection of Democratic Rights condemned it. The paper also reported that the Jamiat Ulema Kolkata general secretary had publicly called Akhtar a devil. Bengal Urdu Academy calls off literary event over Javed Akhtar invitation, draws backlash (report)
- Akhtar's public response, as reported - The Times of India reported Akhtar saying that receiving resentment from both sides suggested he was doing something right. He said Mumbai Police had given him protection four times in 20 years, three of them after threats from Muslim organisations, and that the protests would not stop him from visiting Kolkata. Urdu Academy defers Javed Akhtar event after protests