New Delhi:
The Salman Rushdie row that has hung heavily over the Jaipur Literature Festival got bigger today. Two days after he officially cancelled his visit to the Litfest, citing intelligence reports that the underworld was out to get him, the author this morning slammed the Rajasthan police.
Mr Rushdie tweeted on Sunday, slamming the Rajasthan police and accusing them of inventing the plot to keep him away from the event.
But soon after the irate tweet, the Rajasthan Police insisted that the inputs it got on threats to Mr Rushdie came from the Centre and it was not something that the state police had generated.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>'Rajasthan police invented plot to keep away Rushdie' I've investigated, & believe that I was indeed lied to. I am outraged and very angry.</p>— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) <a href="https://twitter.com/SalmanRushdie/status/160890966549594114" data-datetime="2012-01-22T01:06:10+00:00">January 22, 2012</a></blockquote>
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However, Biju Joseph, DIG, Rajasthan Police, rejected Mr Rushdie's claim. He told NDTV that the police received these inputs from the Centre as well as the intelligence bureau.
"We get advisory from the union home ministry and the intelligence bureau. We get information about various events and various personalities coming to the city," he said.
Mr Joseph denied that there were threats to Mr Rushdie's life from the Mumbai underworld.
"I don't know from where Mr Salman Rushdie got that information. We officially have had no information about the Mumbai underworld," said Mr Joseph.
He, however, added the police force was prepared if Mr Rushdie had decided to visit the Jaipur Literature Festival.
Backing the Rajasthan police, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has said that there was a security threat but only from local elements.
"They conveyed to the organizers of the festival that there was a security threat to Rushdie, but all security arrangements were in place and there were some local elements also, which were opposed to Rushdie's visit and were threatening to protest," said Mr Gehlot.
The Centre, however, maintains that no such advisory was issued, and that the IB had shared apprehensions of a general law and order issue with the Rajasthan government.
The authors at the festival, however, continued to slam the Indian government, alleging that the Indian government failed to provide security assurances to Mr Rushdie. "I find it quite bizarre. This is the world's biggest democracy, the most multi-cultural society you can have and I think it's sad that he has not been able to come. I think it's the state's basic role to provide security to its citizens and visitors and to me it seems the state has failed in its most basic duty," said Pakistani Author Mohammad Haneef.
Meanwhile, the Rajasthan police have asked for the tape recordings of author Amitava Kumar reading out excerpts from Mr Rushdie's controversial book - Satanic Verses - which is illegal in India. The organisers of the event, however, have refused to hand over the tapes.
"We asked organisers to provide us details and video footage of a session in which the book was allegedly read," Mr Joseph said.
"We will examine whether the alleged reading from the banned book was done. It is a suo motu action. After examining the matter, appropriate action would be taken against those who were found guilty," he said.
Some authors who read passages from Mr Rushdie's banned book left the LitFest on Saturday. Sources say that the exit may be because of fear of backlash.
Authors Hari Kunzru and Amitava Kumar, as a mark of protest, used their session at the festival to read from Satanic Verses. Later, authors Jeet Thayil and Ruchir Joshi also read out from the banned book.
Their act, however, was condemned by many authors at the festival.
"If something you have written which will hurt people, do people have the right to condemn it or not in a democracy? They have it. You can condemn violence. Taking law in your own hands and banning, that is completely wrong and I am completely against it, but like I said you have the right to hurt, but should you? And do we have the right to condemn you for it? Give me that right also on behalf of people of my country who don't have a voice," said Chetan Bhagat, author.
Physically he may be absent but mentally and in spirit Mr Rushdie continues to have a larger than life presence at the Jaipur Litfest. And while organisers may want to wish it away, the Rushdie row remains the big talking point at this festival.