Rushdie Video Link Cancelled

Salman Rushdie proposed video link to the Jaipur Literary Festival in India has been cancelled due to threats of violence. The Jaipur Literary Festival is one of the largest literary festivals in India. First Rushdie was to attend the festival in person, said clearly that he did not need a visa to enter India, but changed his mind due to assassination warnings. Now, the video link has taken a hit. Sanjoy Roy said:

“We have been pushed to the wall… Earlier today, a number of organisations came to us and threatened violence. Even now as we speak, we have been informed by the police that large crowds are gathering across the city parks and marching towards the Diggi Palace [festival venue].”

Ram Pratap Singh, the owner of the Diggi Palace, said:

“I have taken a decision not to allow the video-link to go ahead on advice from the police. There are a large number of people who are averse to this video-link and they are actually inside the property… they have threatened violence if the video-link takes place. This is unfortunate but necessary to avoid harm to the property, to all of you, to my children and all the youngsters who are here.”

The Salman Rushdie controversy stems from the long-running Satanic Verses saga, which some Muslim clerics found offensive. Rushdie received a fatwa and was hiding and under the protection of the British government for years but it seems as if the controversy has plagued Rushdie in more ways than one.

Source: BBC