'Angry' Salman Rushdie slams Rajasthan police, says life threat concocted

Jaipur: Two days after he decided to skip the Jaipur Literature Festival citing threats from a Mumbai don, celebrated author Salman Rushdie on Sunday slammed the Rajasthan police for allegedly inventing a plot to keep him away.

Rushdie tweeted: "I've investigated, and believe that I was indeed lied to. I am outraged and very angry. Don't know who gave orders. And yes I guess the same police who want to arrest Hari Kunzru, Amitava Kumar, Jeet Thayil and Ruchir Joshi. Disgusting."

A complaint has been filed in Jaipur against four authors who read from Salman Rushdie's banned book 'Satanic Verses' at the ongoing Jaipur Literature

Festival.

"We received the complaint yesterday and are examining it. It is a complaint and no FIR has been lodged so far," A Mohammad, SHO of Ashok Nagar police station, on Sunday said.

Rushdie was referring to the three authors and the poet who dared to read excerpts from his banned book 'Satanic Verses' at the Festival to lodge their protest over Rushdie's absence on Day 1.

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 from attending 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 Maharasthra and Rajasthan that paid hitmen from the Mumbai underworld will "eliminate" him if he came to India.

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.

Oprah Winfrey at Jaipur Literature Festival

And even as the drama surrounding Salman Rushdie shows no signs of abating, the show is moving on. It's Day 3 of the festival. And the most-eagerly awaited celebrity of the day is Oprah Winfrey.

The American talk-show host is expected to attend on Sunday. Other big names on Sunday include politician Shashi Tharoor, author Fatima Bhutto, spiritual guru Deepak Chopra and noted poet and writer Gulzar.

With Additional Inputs from PTI

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