Devdutt Pattanaik's Session At National Youth Festival Couldn't Be Broadcast Due To "Unforeseen Technical Issues": MIB

'Mythologist' Devdutt Pattanaik's session at the National Youth Festival in Puducherry could not be broadcast due to "unforeseen technical issues", senior advisor to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Kanchan Gupta informed on Wednesday (12 January).

"Due to unforeseen technical issues, Devdutt Pattanaik’s session at National Youth Day festival could not be broadcast. Delegates and those watching are requested to tune into other ongoing sessions," Gupta said in a tweet.

Pattnaik was scheduled to speak on the first day of the event. Besides Devdutt, there were several other eminent personalities, including actor Randeep Hooda, PayTM founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, author Harsh Madhusudan and several others who were invited to the festival.

The development comes as several netizens criticised the government on inviting Devdutt Patnaik to speak at one of the session of the National Youth Festival.

Netizens demanded his removal from the panel saying that Patnaik indulged in abusive behaviour on social media often.

Tagging Union Minister Anurag Thakur and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the netizens asked how a person like Devdutt, who hurls abuses frequently on social media, can be invited to address the youth of the country in the festival.

Author Shefali Vaidya said that hailing the man as a 'great mind' was "sickening".

ISKCON Kolkata vice-president Radharamn Das questioned the sports ministry and Union Minister Anurag Thakur on inviting Devdutt Patnaik "to inspire youths at the National Youth Festival event".

"How can Sports Ministry, Anurag Thakur invite this abusive mental person to inspire youths at 'National Youth Festival' event? If these kind of people are inspiring our youths, then only Bhagawan can save this country & civilization. Very shameful," Das tweeted.