By IANS,
New Delhi: The Congress Wednesday refuted remarks by Salman Rushdie that the party’s desire to garner Muslim votes in Uttar Pradesh elections was the reason for
his not being able to attend the Jaipur Literature Festival or address it via video link and said the author on his own decided not to come to India.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the Rajasthan government could not ignore intelligence inputs regarding threat to Rushdie’s security.
“We are not here to get into an argument with any particular individual. We have made two or three simple points. No state government can afford to ignore inputs and material regarding security threat to any person,” Singhvi said.
He said it is the duty of state governments to carry such inputs to the home ministry and the organisers. “If tomorrow some untoward incident happens, you will be the first to blame that very government for not communicating.”
He said Rajasthan government has always stood ready to provide security after giving inputs.
“But on the basis of those inputs, firstly, Mr Rushdie on his own has decided not to come and thereafter the organisers have cancelled the link. There is no question of government of India doing that,” Singhvi said.
He said Rushdie had come to the country earlier and was not barred from doing so.
Rushdie had said in a television interview that protests against his visit are linked to elections in Uttar Pradesh.