India, July 7 -- The Urdu Sahitya Academy, a key institution for the promotion of Urdu literature in Maharashtra, has been asked to vacate its government-allotted office space by the state's cultural affairs department, sparking a political outcry and concerns about the academy's future.

The academy, which is currently headquartered in the historic Old Customs House building in Mumbai's Fort area, has received an eviction notice, instructing it to relocate to a rented space. The reason cited is that the academy has been transferred from the culture to the minorities department, and the current premises belong to the former.

The fact that this move has come during the academy's golden jubilee year has added to the growing criticism. Sama...