Mumbai police deny inputs on Salman Rushdie life threat

Mumbai, Jan 21: While much hue and cry is being made on the visit of controversial author Salman Rushdie, the Mumbai Police have stunned all after it denied information on any reports on paid assassins hired to kill the author.

Sources reveal that the police had no inputs about the life threat to Salman Rushdie.

"The Salman Rushdie controversy is being made an issue because of the UP elections. A person has the right to express himself till his expressions do not let down another person. The row over Rushdie is being guided by the UP elections," said BJP leader Uma Bharti taking about the controversy.

Rushdie called off his impending visit to the Jaipur Literature Festival after he said he feared for his life as there were threat from the underworld.

"Very sad not to be at Jaipur. I was told Bombay mafia don issued weapons to 2 hitmen to "eliminate" me. Will do video link instead. Damn," Rushdie tweeted announcng that he would not the country.

"There are intelligence inputs from Rajasthan and Maharashtra that paid assassins are on their way so he wants to be responsible to himself, people at the festival and everyone," said Jaipur Literature Festival organiser Sanjoy Roy.

Meanwhile, authors Hari Kunzru and Amitava Kumar, voicing their protest read out a passage from his banned book 'Satanic Verses' but were later stopped by the organisers.

After the news of Rushdie coming to visit India came into light, Darul Uloom Deoband, an Influential Islamic seminary demanded that the author should not be allowed to enter the country. A fatwa was also issued against Rushdie that said anybody who hurled a slipper at him would be rewarded Rs 1 lakh.

OneIndia News