Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot called on Union Home Minister P Chidambaram here this morning to express apprehensions over controversial writer Salman Rushdie’s visit to attend Jaipur Literary Festival beginning from January 20. The Chief Minister shared certain Muslim groups’ objections to the visit by the renowned author who was until the other day was most sought after speaker at the upcoming five-day literary event to be hosted at the Pink City.
Later, Gehlot said that he had conveyed the assessment of his Government regarding the proposed visit of the author. The chief Minister said that he had no knowledge about the actual position – whether Rushdie’s visit was on or has been called off.
Earlier, the organisers of the festival had advised Rushdie to skip theJaipur event since the Muslim opinion was adverse. Earlier, an Islamic seminary of western UP had urged the Union and Rajasthan Governments to not let Rushdie visit Jaipur as he had hurt sentiments of many Muslims through one of his works of fiction.
Muslim groups have been referring to a Fatwa or religious fiat passed by the late Ayatollah Khomeini against Rushdie’s novel Satanic Verses that was published over two decades ago. Soon after the Fatwa Rushdie turned into one of the most protected writers with western government providing them round the clock security cover.
Gehlot Government as also the Centre has been keeping a watch over the developments regarding the visit of the writer. But the opposition has been alleging that the Government has been allowing an issue to be built up by Rushdie’s visit in order to placate a section of Muslims who have been demanding a ban on the visit and the Congress was eyeing upon the minority votes by obliging them in roundabout manner in view of elections in Uttar Pradesh and four other States.
http://www.ndnewsexpress.com/2012/01/17/gehlot-tells-chidambaram-that-rushdies-visit-could-be-detrimental-to-peace-and-harmony-18953
Later, Gehlot said that he had conveyed the assessment of his Government regarding the proposed visit of the author. The chief Minister said that he had no knowledge about the actual position – whether Rushdie’s visit was on or has been called off.
Earlier, the organisers of the festival had advised Rushdie to skip theJaipur event since the Muslim opinion was adverse. Earlier, an Islamic seminary of western UP had urged the Union and Rajasthan Governments to not let Rushdie visit Jaipur as he had hurt sentiments of many Muslims through one of his works of fiction.
Muslim groups have been referring to a Fatwa or religious fiat passed by the late Ayatollah Khomeini against Rushdie’s novel Satanic Verses that was published over two decades ago. Soon after the Fatwa Rushdie turned into one of the most protected writers with western government providing them round the clock security cover.
Gehlot Government as also the Centre has been keeping a watch over the developments regarding the visit of the writer. But the opposition has been alleging that the Government has been allowing an issue to be built up by Rushdie’s visit in order to placate a section of Muslims who have been demanding a ban on the visit and the Congress was eyeing upon the minority votes by obliging them in roundabout manner in view of elections in Uttar Pradesh and four other States.
http://www.ndnewsexpress.com/2012/01/17/gehlot-tells-chidambaram-that-rushdies-visit-could-be-detrimental-to-peace-and-harmony-18953
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