Jaipur:
Will Salman Rushdie attend the Jaipur Literature Festival that begins this Friday, despite security concerns? Organizers issued this statement today. "Salman Rushdie will not be in India on 20th January due to a change in his schedule. The festival stands by his invitation to Mr Rushdie." Sources say that those coordinating Mr Rushdie's travel are reluctant to share details, given the recent protests against the author.
(Poll: Should Salman Rushdie drop out of literary fest?)Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met Home Minister P Chidambaram in Delhi today. Mr Gehlot said that the protests against Mr Rushdie's visit in his state cannot be ignored - nor can the opinions of those organizing them. He also stressed that though Mr Rushdie's visit will trigger special focus on law and order and security, the author cannot be stopped from visiting the country since he has the status of a Person of Indian Origin or PIO.
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Organizers of the festival denied reports that Mr Rushdie has been privately requested to skip the event. They said the invitation to the writer stands. Mr Rushdie's book 'The Satanic Verses' is considered by many Muslims to be blasphemous.
The controversy over Mr Rushdie's visit arose after Islamic seminary Darul-uloom Deoband, which is based in Uttar Pradesh, said that the Man Booker prize winner should not be allowed to enter India. The author had tweeted then that he didn't need a visa to come to India because he has a Person of Indian Origin card.
Mr Rushdie has in the past attended the same literary festival in Jaipur without incident.