Salman Rushdie could be targeted by SIMI, Raza Academy, claims Centre

 

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/salman-rushdie-could-be-targeted-by-simi-claims-centre/articleshow/11549216.cms

19 JAN, 2012, 09.02AM IST, VISHWA MOHAN,TNN 

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday sounded an alert about a plan by a leader of the outlawed fundamentalist outfit Students Islamic Movement of India to target Salman Rushdie if the controversial author goes ahead with his plan to attend the Jaipur Literature Festival. 

The alert, addressed to government of Rajasthan and authorities in Delhi -- Rushdie's likely disembarkation point in case he chooses to defy the threats -- also underlined the plan of Mumbai-based Raza Academy to humiliate the celebrated author. According to the home ministry, Saeed Noorie, general secretary of the Academy, has announced a "reward" of Rs 1 lakh to anyone who hurls a slipper at Rushdie. 

Home ministry claimed that SIMI leader Saquib Nachan, who is one of the accused in the 2003 Mulund blast case in Mumbai, was "exploring the option of targeting Rushdie during his visit". Nachan, a familiar figure for counter-terror agencies, has been on bail since January 2011. 

Citing the threats, the Centre has asked both Rajasthan and Delhi to "make adequate security arrangements to ensure protection to Rushdie and for maintaining peace and communal harmony". 

Meanwhile, Rajasthan government, wary of being accused of caving in to protests, appeared to be ramping up the pressure on the organizers to keep Rushdie away from the literary festival. "I am sure the organizers will respect the sentiments of the local people," chief minister Ashok Gehlot said. 

In fact, Gehlot, who discussed the issue with home minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday, appeared to put the onus of warding off the threat of violence on the organizers of the festival even as he hailed the event as a "matter of pride" for Jaipur. "Organisers should themselves step forward to ensure that things don't come to such a pass where there is a law and order situation. Government wishes that no such eventuality arises," the CM said in Jaipur. 

Rajasthan government has so far walked a tightrope between nudging the organizers to cajole Rushdie into dropping his plans for India and not appearing to be giving into pressure from the protesters lest it is accused of "appeasement". 

Gehlot's remarks, however, pointed to an anxiety to achieve a swift closure on the matter. 

Organizers who had on Tuesday said that Rushdie would not attend the inaugural event on Friday as planned kept quiet on Wednesday even as "will he, won't he" speculation persisted with greater intensity. The advisory issued by the home ministry was premised on the information the government had received from the organizers about Rushdie's plan to touch down at New Delhi on Thursday. 

Established in 1978 by Noorie and others, Raza Academy was set up for educational awareness among minorities, for raising voice against the atrocities on minorities and for all minority related matters.