India, April 12 -- The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, has cancelled talks by three women academics and anti-caste activists after the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) approached police against inviting alleged "members of the extreme Left" for the event. In a statement issued on Friday, the institute said the decision was taken "to avoid controversy."

The talks by academics and activists Deepali Salve, Nazima Parveen, and Smita M Patil were scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at IISER campus as part of the Muktiparv programme to mark the birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar.

"These talks were planned as part of Muktiparv, a student-driven initiative featuring external speakers who are scholars a...