Row over Salman Rushdie\’s visit

 

He conveyed the home minister that his visit might lead to security problems following protestes by the Muslim groups.

 

Gehlot told him that people of the state do not want Rushdie to come and his visit will trigger special focus on law and order.

 

"No state government will want a law and order situation. I have informed the Centre about the prevailing sentiments," Gehlot said.

 

The announcement of Rushdie\\\’s visit to the popular festival had invited the wrath of India\\\’s top Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband, which appealed to the government to decline the author a visa alleging that he had hurt sentiments of Muslims in the past.

 

Following this, Rushdie had taken to micro-blogging site Twitter to say that he did not require a visa to visit India as he holds a Person of Indian Origin card.

 

However, the Jaipur Literature Festival stands by its invitation this year.

 

The organisers of the event today issued a statement stating that "Salman will not be in India on the 20th as per his new schedule. The festival stands by its invitation to Mr Rushdie."

 

Festival producer Sanjoy K Roy said that "Salman Rushdie is coming. Nothing has changed. We have shifted the dates."

 

Although, his scheduled events are no longer mentioned on the festival\\\’s website which appears highly contadictory to the organiser\\\’s statement.

 

Rushdie was earlier scheduled to speak on January 20, 21, and 22 in the five-day festival beginning Friday.

 

As per sources and some media reports, Rajasthan chief secretary Salauddin Ahmed has asked the organisers to request Rushdie to call off his visit.

 

Sources in the state government state that his visit would have created a huge security risk in the wake of threat of protests by Islamist groups.

 

The author had earned the wrath of Muslims worldwide due to the alleged blasphemous content in his novel "The Satanic Verses" which was published in 1988.