JAIPUR: The planned video address by British author Salman Rushdie to the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival
was scrapped on Tuesday because of security fears, police said. "(The
venue) owners conveyed to police that it was not possible for them to
allow the organisers (to hold the video link) in the present situation,"
deputy commissioner of Jaipur police Vijendra Jhala told reporters.
Earlier nearly 30 angry representatives of various Islamic organisations in Jaipur tried to enter the venue of the festival Tuesday noon in protest against the video address by Rushdie, author of the banned book "The Satanic Verses".
The protesters led by All India Milli Council leader, Paiker Farukh, a lawyer, who alleged that "the festival was trying to portray author Salman Rushdie as a hero".
"We have every right to protest in a democratic manner and if the Muslim population of Jaipur comes out in protest, you cannot prevent us. You cannot take us for a ride... we are not fools," Farukh told the media outside the venue at Diggi Palace.
The Muslim organisations had filed a petition at the court of an executive magistrate in Jaipur seeking a directive against Rushdie's address following which the court had summoned four organisers of the festival. But the organisers failed to turn up, a representative of the Muslim delegation said.
Police were summoned to placate the protesters. The commissioner of police reassured the protesters that their interests would be taken into account.
"We don't know about the fate of Rushdie's video address," a member of the core committee of the organisers then said.
Rushdie had called off his visit to Jaipur citing threats to his life from "paid assassins". But later he accused Rajasthan Police of hatching a plot about hitmen to keep him away from the festival where he was expected to be the star attraction. Some Muslim groups had also protested his proposed visit. But then the festival organisers said he would address the festival through a video link.
At 12 noon on Tuesday, Roy, the producer of the festival, had said, "We are going ahead with the link at 3.45 p.m., it will be the session originally planned -- Midnight's Children -- and his book's adaptation and his life and works and the problems he has faced in the past years.
Roy said some clarifications had been sought by the authorities and these had been responded to.
Earlier nearly 30 angry representatives of various Islamic organisations in Jaipur tried to enter the venue of the festival Tuesday noon in protest against the video address by Rushdie, author of the banned book "The Satanic Verses".
The protesters led by All India Milli Council leader, Paiker Farukh, a lawyer, who alleged that "the festival was trying to portray author Salman Rushdie as a hero".
"We have every right to protest in a democratic manner and if the Muslim population of Jaipur comes out in protest, you cannot prevent us. You cannot take us for a ride... we are not fools," Farukh told the media outside the venue at Diggi Palace.
The Muslim organisations had filed a petition at the court of an executive magistrate in Jaipur seeking a directive against Rushdie's address following which the court had summoned four organisers of the festival. But the organisers failed to turn up, a representative of the Muslim delegation said.
Police were summoned to placate the protesters. The commissioner of police reassured the protesters that their interests would be taken into account.
"We don't know about the fate of Rushdie's video address," a member of the core committee of the organisers then said.
Rushdie had called off his visit to Jaipur citing threats to his life from "paid assassins". But later he accused Rajasthan Police of hatching a plot about hitmen to keep him away from the festival where he was expected to be the star attraction. Some Muslim groups had also protested his proposed visit. But then the festival organisers said he would address the festival through a video link.
At 12 noon on Tuesday, Roy, the producer of the festival, had said, "We are going ahead with the link at 3.45 p.m., it will be the session originally planned -- Midnight's Children -- and his book's adaptation and his life and works and the problems he has faced in the past years.
Roy said some clarifications had been sought by the authorities and these had been responded to.
No comments:
Post a Comment