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Rushdie unlikely to attend Jaipur Festival
Tuesday January 17, 2012 01:45:18 PM,
IANS
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Jaipur/New Delhi: Controversial writer Salman Rushdie is unlikely to attend the
Jaipur Literature Festival beginning in Jaipur Friday, highly
placed sources said Tuesday.
Although there is no official announcement yet, the sources told
IANS that the British Indian novelist may keep away from the Jan
20-24 event scheduled at the Diggi Palace Hotel.
The sources gave no details but spoke as Rajasthan Chief Minister
told Home Minister P. Chidambaram in Delhi that Rushdie's presence
could spark off trouble.
Muslim groups have come out against the visit by Rushdie, whose
fourth novel, "The Satanic Verses" (1988), led to major protests
from Muslims in many countries after a 'fatwa' by Ayatollah
Khomeini in 1989.
Organisers of the popular Jaipur Literature Festival, however,
admitted that Rushdie "will not attend" the first day of the
event.
The event's producer Sanjay Roy said in a two-line statement:
"Rushdie will not be in India Jan 20 due to a change in his
schedule. The festival stands by its invitation to the author."
The organisers were mum over whether he will attend the festival
or not.
Gehlot told reporters in Delhi: "We don't have any official
communication when he is coming... but minorities in the state are
protesting against it. I have informed him (Chidambaram) about the
situation.
"It is a famous festival. I am sure organisers ... would not want
anything to happen that affects the whole festival. I hope we work
out something so that things don't turn ugly.
"We can't prevent (Rushdie) from coming to India since he is a PIO
(Person of Indian Origin) and PIOs don't need visa," said Gehlot,
who also met Law and Minorities Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.
Many Muslim leaders in Rajasthan have asked the government not to
let Rushdie enter India.
After Darul Uloom Deoband -- the country's biggest Islamic
seminary -- demanded that the writer be denied entry, some leaders
of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) minority cell in Rajasthan
echoed the view.
Darul Uloom vice president Maulana Abul Qasim Nomani said India
must cancel Rushdie's visa as he had hurt the religious sentiments
of Muslims.
Rushdie has been in India twice since the controversy erupted.
His first visit took place in 2000, and the second in 2007 when he
attended the literary festival at Jaipur.
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