Deoband wants Rushdie's visa cancelled; Cong steers clear

Muzaffarnagar: Opposing controversial author Salman Rushdie’s visit to India, Islamic Seminary Darul Uloom Deoband today said the government should cancel his visa as he had hurt religious sentiments of Muslims in the past. Sixty-five-year-old Rushdie, who had earned the wrath of Muslims worldwide due to his novel The Satanic Verses, is set to attend the Jaipur Literature Festival on 21 January. Rushdie along with authors Rita Kothari and Tarun Tejpal is slated to discuss the nuances of English with noted writer Ira Pande on the topic ‘Inglish, Amlish, Hinglish: The chutnification of English’. [caption id=“attachment_176669” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The Indian-origin writer had earlier visited the literary extravaganza in the Pink city in 2007. Reuters”]  [/caption] “Indian government should cancel his visa as Rushdie had annoyed the religious sentiments of Muslims in the past,” Maulana Abul Qasim Nomani, the Vice Chancellor of Darul uloom, said in a release. The government should take into account the feelings of Muslims against Rushdie, he stressed. Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses, which was banned by India, had sparked outrage in the Muslim world, and invited a fatwa against him by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Iran, on 14 February 1989. The Indian-origin writer had earlier visited the literary extravaganza in the Pink city in 2007. Back in New Delhi Congress steered clear of the demand. “The issue concerns the Government of India and it was for it to take a decision on it,” party spokesperson Rashid Alvi said. PTI