New Delhi, Dec 19 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has indicated his willingness to inaugurate the 98th All India Marathi Literary Convention in the national capital on February 21, former Union minister Sharad Pawar, chairman of the reception committee of the event, said here on Thursday.

More than 5,000 literature enthusiasts are expected to attend the three-day Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan (All India Marathi Literary Convention), scheduled to be held at the Talkatora Stadium here.

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The venue will be named ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Sahitya Nagari' and the hall where the convention will be held will be named after Babasaheb Ambedkar, Pawar said. Two entry gates to the venue will be named after Lokmanya Tilak and Yashwantrao Chavan, he said.

Pawar said he had written to the prime minister inviting him to inaugurate the convention. He said there were inquiries from the Prime Minister's Office regarding the time of the inaugural function, which was an indication that Modi was inclined to attend the event.

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Pawar said if the prime minister agrees to attend the convention, the inaugural function could be shifted to Vigyan Bhawan.

Pawar said an invitation has also been extended to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and he would soon be writing to the two deputy chief ministers.

He said Marathi-speaking people from the world over, including Pakistan, have expressed their desire to attend the event.

The literary event is returning to the national capital after 71 years. The event was last held in Delhi in 1954 when freedom fighter and senior Congress leader Kakasaheb Gadgil was the chairman of the reception committee and prominent Sanskrit scholar Lakshman Shastri Joshi was the president of the convention.

The then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had inaugurated the event.

Writer and folk culture researcher Tara Bhawalkar has been elected as the president of the convention, becoming the sixth woman to hold the post.

Pune-based NGO Sarhad is the lead organiser of the three-day convention.

Sarhad founder Sanjay Nahar said a letter has been sent to the Railway Ministry for running a special train between Pune and Delhi to enable literary enthusiasts to attend the convention.

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