Controversial Author Salman Rushdie Claims, ‘Rajasthan Police Lied’
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 12:13 am
Controversial Author Salman Rushdie Claims, 'Rajasthan Police Lied'
Controversial author Salman Rushdie claims he has found out that the intelligence provided to him by Rajasthan police about threat to his life if he attended the Jaipur Literature Festival was concocted to prevent him from going to India.
Rushdie tweeted, “Rajasthan police invented plot to keep away Rushdie’ I’ve investigated, & believe that I was indeed lied to. I am outraged and very angry.” Responding to a comment to his tweet, Mr. Rushdie said he does not know if the false intelligence information was given by Rajasthan police under instructions from someone.
“Don’t know who gave orders. And yes I guess the same police who want to arrest Hari, Amitava, Jeet and Ruchir. Disgusting. (sic)” he added. Rajasthan Police have sought a copy of the video from the organisers of the festival of the session hosting Kunzru and Kumar in which the two read excerpts from the book, a police source said.
The festival’s co-director, William Dalrymple, confirmed that Friday’s scheduled event would not take place, but did not say whether Rushdie would appear at another festival event. He lived in hiding for many years after Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for his execution.
Muslim clerics had warned of protests against Mr Rushdie; they say his book, The Satanic Verses, is blasphemous. As organizers read out his statement in Jaipur on Friday, Mr Rushdie tweeted, “Very sad not to be at jaipur. I was told Bombay mafia don issued weapons to 2 hitmen to ‘eliminate’ me. Will do video link instead. Damn.”
The Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini called for Rushdie’s execution in 1989, setting off a wave of protests around the world with his claim that the novel’s portrayal of the prophet Muhammad insulted Islam, and forcing the author into hiding.
A bounty was offered for Rushdie’s death, and he was thus forced to live under police protection for several years. On 7 March 1989, the United Kingdom and Iran broke diplomatic relations over the Rushdie controversy. Author William Dalrymple, who is also a festival organiser, said Salman Rushdie’s decision to stay away was a “great tragedy”.
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