Pune: Dr. Tara Bhavalkar, the designated president of the 98th All India Marathi Literary Conference, set to take place in Delhi after a gap of seven decades, has been requested not to accept the felicitation planned by the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad on Wednesday, October 23.

The appeal comes from the office-bearers of the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad Protection Action Committee, who have raised concerns over the legitimacy of the Parishad's executive committee.

Traditionally, the first felicitation for the designated conference president is organized by the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad. This year, the event was set to be conducted by the Parishad's president, Dr. Raosaheb Kasbe.

However, the Protection Action Committee, led by President Milind Kamble, Working President Prof. Dhananjay Kulkarni, Secretary Sunil Bhandge, and Convener Shashank Mahajan, has objected to the felicitation, citing the expired term of the current executive body.

According to the committee, the executive committee’s term ended in 2021, but its tenure has been extended in violation of the organization’s constitution.

The Protection Action Committee has urged Dr. Bhavalkar not to accept the honor from office-bearers who have continued their roles in defiance of legal provisions.

In their letter to Dr. Bhavalkar, the committee members expressed respect for her work in public movements and social issues, adding that accepting the felicitation may not align with the values she has represented through her writings.

They conveyed their best wishes for her upcoming tenure as the president of the literary conference.