Photographs: Reuters
Two days after he scrapped his plans to attend the Jaipur Literature Festival citing threats to his life, an "angry" Salman Rushdie on Sunday charged that he was lied to by the Rajasthan police, who "invented" a plot to keep him away from the event.
The controversial author took to the microblogging site Twitter to vent his anger and responded to reports in Indian media that said, "The Rajasthan police invented plot to keep away Rushdie."Rushdie tweeted, "The Rajasthan police invented plot to keep away Rushdie' I've investigated, & believe that I was indeed lied to. I am outraged and very angry."
The controversial author took to the microblogging site Twitter to vent his anger and responded to reports in Indian media that said, "The Rajasthan police invented plot to keep away Rushdie."Rushdie tweeted, "The Rajasthan police invented plot to keep away Rushdie' I've investigated, & believe that I was indeed lied to. I am outraged and very angry."
Responding to a comment to his tweet, Rushdie said he does not know if the false intelligence information was given by the Rajasthan police under instructions from someone.
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'I was indeed lied to; I am outraged and very angry'
Photographs: Reuters
"Don't know who gave orders. And yes I guess the same police who want to arrest (authors) Hari, Amitava, Jeet and Ruchir. Disgusting," he said responding to a comment on whether it is the same the police who now want to arrest writers for reading passages of his banned work The Satanic Verses at the festival.
Rushdie also posted a link to a news report that said local intelligence officials in Rajasthan had "invented" information about the assassination plot against him to keep him away from the literary event. His accompanying tweet read, "Here's the story. Astonishing.
"The author had dropped plans to attend the literature festival saying he was informed by intelligence sources in Maharastra and Rajasthan that paid hitmen from the Mumbai underworld will "eliminate" him if he came to India.
Rushdie also posted a link to a news report that said local intelligence officials in Rajasthan had "invented" information about the assassination plot against him to keep him away from the literary event. His accompanying tweet read, "Here's the story. Astonishing.
"The author had dropped plans to attend the literature festival saying he was informed by intelligence sources in Maharastra and Rajasthan that paid hitmen from the Mumbai underworld will "eliminate" him if he came to India.
'Disgusting that police want to arrest authors'
Photographs: Reuters
Rushdie had expressed doubts about the "accuracy" of the intelligence but said in a statement that it would be "irresponsible" on his part to still attend the festival and put the lives of other authors and participants in danger.
In protest, authors Amitava Kumar, Hari Kunzru, Ruchir Joshi and Jeet Thayil had read passages of The Satanic Verses, a controversial 1988 novel by Rushdie that is banned in India due to its alleged blasphemous content. The police are now demanding to see tapes of the recordings of the authors reading from the banned book.
In protest, authors Amitava Kumar, Hari Kunzru, Ruchir Joshi and Jeet Thayil had read passages of The Satanic Verses, a controversial 1988 novel by Rushdie that is banned in India due to its alleged blasphemous content. The police are now demanding to see tapes of the recordings of the authors reading from the banned book.
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