Wrong to say police blocked Rushdie visit: Rajasthan
January 24th, 2012 - 12:00 am ICT by IANSJaipur, Jan 23 (IANS) The Rajasthan government Monday termed as totally baseless and unfounded reports that state police prevented Salman Rushdie from attending the Jaipur Literature Festival.
Principal Secretary (Home) G.S. Sandhu said that whenever any confidential information about threat to a VIP’s life was received, the security agencies cautioned that person about the threat so that the he or she remained alert.
“Keeping with this tradition, the home department and the intelligence agencies had requested the organisers of the festival to caution Rushdie about the threat to his life,” said Sandhu in a written statement.
He said that the intelligence agencies had apprised the state government five-six times about the threat to Rushdie between Dec 28, 2011 and Jan 20, 2012.
“Nearly one dozen social organisations showed resentment and requested the state government and the organisers that communal harmony would be disturbed if Rushdie comes to Jaipur,” Sandhu said.
The principal secretary said that the state goverment was constantly receiving information from intelligence agencies that SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India) was plotting to eliminate Rushdie during the festival.
“The security agencies had also informed that a former general secretary of SIMI had given arms and money to a person in June 2011 and handed him the responsibility to kill Rushdie. This person had also done a survey of Godrej guest house situated in Mumbai where Rushdie stays whenever he visits Mumbai,” he added.
Sandhu said that the state government received an advisory from the union home ministry Jan 17 saying that the former office bearer of SIMI Saquib Nachaan was plotting to target Rushdie during his Jaipur visit.
Mention was also made about the announcement by a man identified as Sayyed Noorie of awarding Rs.100,000 to anyone who threw a shoe at Rushdie at the festival.
The principal secretary said that it was clear from all these facts that the allegation of Rushdie that Rajasthan Police fabricated a story to prevent him from participating in the literature festival was totally baseless and false.
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Tags: communal harmony, general secretary, intelligence agencies, islamic movement, jaipur, literature festival, noorie, office bearer, organisers, principal secretary, rajasthan government, salman rushdie, sandhu, security agencies, six times, social organisations, state goverment, state police, unfounded reports, union home ministry