Salman Rushdie row a case of 'match-fixing' by IB and 'jehadis': BJP

Dubbing the controversy surrounding controversial author Salman Rushdie as a case of "match fixing" between intelligence agencies and "jehadis", BJP today accused the Congress of using it to gain political mileage in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

"It is a clear case of match fixing between intelligence agencies and jehadis in which the Congress government of Rajasthan played a supportive and active role," BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.

He said the Rajasthan government has not denied statements of Rushdie and the sponsors of the Jaipur Literature Festival about intelligence inputs that "paid assassins" from Mumbai could target him.

"But at the same time DGP of Maharashtra has gone on record to say that they had not provided any input to Rajasthan in this regard.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot insisted that his government had received six messages from IB on the threat.

Prasad said keeping in mind the entire background, "it is necessary to know who is speaking the truth."

If, as claimed by Gehlot that top intelligence officials were aware of the input, then why was the Maharashtra police not alerted about it so that they could take preemptive steps.

He said the entire episode had put a question mark on the credibility and integrity of the intelligence agency.

Prasad demanded a probe into the matter to find out "who was speaking the truth" and said since intelligence agencies report to the Prime Minister, he should take note of it.

He said the UPA government's decision to provide 4.5 per cent sub-quota to minorities from the 27 per cent quota for OBCs and promise to double it to 9 per cent would hurt the interests of backwards.

"Congress has deliberately communalised UP polls. (Congress general secretary) Digvijay Singh has termed the Batla House encounter as fake and Congess president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi have maintained silence on it," the Rajya Sabha MP said.

He said Rushdie had been in India on several occasions in the past but there were no protests and questioned the timing of the present controversy ahead of assembly elections in five states.