Although Salman Rushdie has cancelled his visit to the Jaipur Literary Festival citing security reasons, the controversy still rages on. Rajasthan Police on Saturday stepped up security at the Diggi Palace, the venue of the Jaipur Literature Festival, after some authors allegedly read out excerpts from Salman Rushdie's controversial book 'The Satanic Verses' in an unscheduled session a day ago, sources said.
The book is banned in India and some Muslim organisations have opposed Rushdie's visit to the literature fest for authoring this book. 'We have come to know that some authors tried to read out excerpts from the controversial book written by Salman Rushdie Friday evening. It was a very unfortunate incident and will not be tolerated,' Muzzafar Bharati from the Muslim Ekta Manch told reporters here.
Muslim organisations have threatened to move court against the authors reading out the passages. Bharati added that the organisation is contemplating filing a police complaint.
Image: An Indian Muslim stops others to protest against Booker-Prize winning author Salman Rushdie, in Jaipur, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. Rushdie canceled plans to appear at an Indian literature festival Friday after protests from Muslim clerics and warnings that he could be targeted for assassination. (AP/AFP)
Text: Agencies (PTI/IANS)
