Indian police stop a conference of activists and academics discussing G20 issues ahead of summit

Indian police intervened to stop a meeting of prominent activists, academics and politicians discussing global issues ahead of a summit of the Group of 20 industrialized and developing nations that will be hosted in New Delhi next month, the meeting’s organizers said Sunday.

Nearly 400 participants had spent two days debating the G-20 agenda and key issues that affect much of the world’s population, including food security, climate change, labor rights, natural resources and rising inequality.

The meeting also featured speakers who were critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government’s role in hosting the G-20 summit, saying it was using the event to bolster Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of a general election next year.

Meeting organizers for the “We20” conference said they received a letter from New Delhi police on Sunday morning telling them to end the meeting since it did not have the proper permission in a high-security zone, according to Kavita Kabeer, a spokesperson for the group.