Lit Fest: Will Rushdie’s video link suffer blackout?

Looks like Salman Rushdie fans are in for a disappointment. The controversial author was scheduled to address the Jaipur Literature Festival 2012 live via video conferencing on Tuesday. But sources claim that Rajasthan Government might play spoil sport and not allow the event to take place.

Earlier, the government also did not allow the Booker prize winning author to visit the festival as it feared law and order situation owing to Rushdie’s controversial status. Rushdie, who was disappointed at not being able to attend the festival, was hopeful that he would be able to video conference. But now, that too seems unlikely.

Speaking to a news channel, Jaipur Police Commissioner BL Soni said, “We don’t have have any information about any video conferencing with Salman Rushdie. We will have to legally examine it.”

Sources at the Rajasthan Home Ministry said that they would need to examine the theme and the topic of the video first to ensure that no reference to the controversial novel ‘Satanic Verses’ is made in the conference.

However, the festival organisers claimed that everything was on track and Rushdie would be conferencing live.

Jaipur Literature Festival organiser Sanjoy Roy said, “I have got no such information, will wait to say it in writing. We are in talks with the Police Commissioner.”

There has been huge amount of controversy and debate over Rushdie’s visit to the Pink City for the lit fest. Numerous Islamic groups protested against his visit and the author was asked to stay away by the Rajasthan government owing to law and order situation. Rushdie has had a fatwa issued against him in 1998 for his book ‘Satanic Verses’.