Salman Rushdie trip to Jaipur Literature Festival: Delhi, Rajasthan on alert

NEW DELHI:With Islamic seminaries and hardline community elements engineering outrage against author Salman Rushdie's visit to Rajasthan for attending the Jaipur Literature Festival, the Centre has issued an advisory asking Delhi and Rajasthan police to take all precautionary measures to avert any possible trouble.

The advisory follows indication that Rushdie would turn up for the literature festival. Though the advisory doesn't mention Rushdie's plans, it suggested that he may turn up for the festival on any day from January 20 and January 24.

The Union home ministry has asked Delhi and Rajasthan police to take all measures to prevent any kind of communal disturbances in view of Rushdie's proposed visit.

Rushdie's scheduled visit became controversial after Darul Uloom Deoband's vice-chancellor Maulana Abul Qasim Nomani wrote to the Centre, demanding the author be prohibited from entering India.

Rushdie, who incurred the wrath of Islamists for alleged blasphemy against Prophet Mohammed in his 1988 book The Satanic Verses has said that as a Person of Indian Origin, he did not need a visa.

Some of the organisers, who did not wish to be named, said Rushdie will attend the meeting and discounted the possibility of any trouble. "We will get to know after the eagle has landed," said one of them.

Maulana Abul Qasim Nomani kept up his attack on the author and said Rushdie should apologise to Muslims for hurting their sentiments.