Mumbai Police say they have no record of alleged hit-men sent to kill him
Local intelligence officials in Rajasthan invented information that hit men were preparing to assassinate eminent author Salman Rushdie in a successful plot to deter him from attending the Jaipur Literature Festival, highly placed police sources have told The Hindu.
Sources in the festival administration told The Hindu that Rajasthan Police intelligence officials had claimed that the threat to Mr. Rushdie came from two underworld hit men who they identified as “Altaf Batli” and “Aslam Kongo.” The intelligence officials also said an Islamist terrorist, Saqib Hamid Nachan, was suspected of financing the plot to assassinate Mr. Rushdie.
“I received a call from one of Mr. Rushdie's friends on Friday, asking about these names,” said a senior officer of the Mumbai Police, who deals with organised crime. “I thanked him for giving me something to laugh about.”
The officer said the Mumbai Police's dossiers on organised crime figures had no reference to individuals who might be using “Altaf Batli” and “Aslam Kongo.” “We've had a Salim Langda [‘the lame'], a Salim Kutta [‘the dog'], a Salim Tempo [‘truck'] and a Javed Fawda [‘the spade'] — but no ‘Kongo.' Lots of Batlis [‘bottles'], but no Kongos.”
The third name is of a former Students Islamic Movement of India leader from the village of Padgah, 80 km from Mumbai, who remains under 24-hour covert surveillance, though he has been acquitted of the past charges of participating in terrorist attacks in 2002-2003.
Maharashtra's Director-General of Police P.K. Subramaniam went on record to deny that his force had provided information on a potential threat to Mr. Rushdie. “When we had no information that gangsters or paid assassins from [the] Mumbai underworld had planned to eliminate Mr. Rushdie,” he told journalists in Mumbai, “how could we have shared it with anybody”?
Intelligence sources in New Delhi said no threat to Mr. Rushdie's life had been reported to the Multi-Agency Centre, the Intelligence Bureau's hub at which all terrorism-related threats are discussed at high-level afternoon meetings.
Mr. Rushdie cancelled his appearance at the Festival, saying he had been told that “paid assassins from the Mumbai underworld” were seeking to kill him.
India is a democracy ? Nice to hear that.
To all those readers who have commented here:- 1.Where were you guys when artist Hussain was outlawed openly by Shiv Sena fanatics and made to flee overseas. Both Central and State Governments colluded directly with Shiv Sena and BJP for this plot. 2. Destroying public property in open day light and looting with no end in Mumbai during Valentine's Day every year by the Shiv Sena party workers has no comments by anybody here.
What exactly makes people trust Rushdie more than a government official? If they say that there is a threat to his life then it is fabrication. And, if they say there isn't one, they are not doing their jobs. I think, at least, we as a people ought to be more supportive of our authorities. While I am a big fan of Salman Rushdies works, I do think he loves being the center of attention. More reels for the Jaipur event please?
I do not see any difference between Pakistan and Indian government
The news seems to indicate that the entire drama re threats was stage managed by the Congress party for Muslim votes in the forth coming elections to U.P.It is strange that the Indian Muslims have so long permitted others to befool them - be it an individual like a Mullah for his own gain or importance , or a polititical party like Congress to garner their votes.So far as Congress is concerned, it has become a past master in this art as it all started with Mahatma Gandhi's Khilafat Movement itself.Even Annie Besant and Allama Iqbal came forward to criticize that movement on the ground that it would bestow Mullahs and Maulvis a sort of halo and undeserved hold over the psyche of Indian Muslims.Turkey,which abolished the Khilafat,is the most liberal among the Muslim countries of the world.But because of the Khilafat Andolan and the tactics such as referred to above,the Muslims in India have remained most backward and averse to every beneficial steps proposed for their own betterment.
What else can you expect from this pseudo secular Congress party government in Rajasthan?
National security establishment and CBI is being used by this government as a tool for
political gains, shame and disgusting. The future looks bleak for this country if they have
fallen to this level
Anything is possible under the current Indian congress regime. Alleged war criminals are friends of the Congress regime and this regime has voted at the UNHRC, Geneva against UN Investigation of human rights abuses in Sri Lanka and Indian Congress regimes vote is a denial of Justice to the mostly Tamils.
Congress and government don't want in any condition that Rushdie attend the Jaipur festival so they arranged this tactics.Real wonder is how Rushdie great novelist sharp judge of human nature and their character easily came to their trap? Government did this intentionally congress don't want to loss Muslim votes in U.P.
The very people who gave the booker prize didn't read the book in question. It humiliates the then Prime Minister or UK Margaret Thatcher.
So all these praise to some one whose writing only so called intellectuals understand are so naive.
Where is our left and right group. Earlier they were talking about hindu militant blocking the entry of artist MF Hussain. Now the Govt is appeasing the muslim fanatics not allowing Rushide to come to India.
What a wonderful country our India. Appeasement all the time. Where are we heading for ?
Sir,
It is disheartening to read news these days. One day we hear of "Four
writers who read from The Satanic Verses leave Jaipur to avoid
arrest," on another we hear of "Rajasthan police invented plot to keep
away Rushdie." An interesting question that begs an answer is: Who is
guilty here? It seems that we don't have to get worried about the
dystopian future, Dystopia is in the present.
Let us all bask in the limelight of the Mediocrity of the Indian
State!
‘Rajasthan police invented plot to keep away Rushdie'... If this is true,then the police have committed a crime which is punishable under the law.If an individual creates a false fear or hoax he is arrested by the same police.The Police had the responsibility to provide the security for him,and they were the one who created a hoax,what was the intention behind?what was the need?whom were they working for? I am sure these things will never be answered! after all we are living in a great democratic and seculiar country called INDIA!These things happen here everyday! Laws are for common man,Politicians and bureaucrats are above Law!!
It is insult to country and state of Rajastan for not welcoming him.India is a democresy. people and organization has right to express their view but not veto concept of democresy.
If this is true , then it's blatant misconduct in part of intellegence officials . Concocting stories like school kids , stories which are questioning our ability to exist as free tolerant society .
They shall be dealt with harshly
what a shame ? now government is using state machinery as a tool to
prevent ppl from entering country better they should have asked rushdie
in a straight forward way not to come to india.why govt. is using terror
threat as a mean to keep rushdie away? may be becoz of this he will be
having sleepless night these days. This is not right and if it is true
then it is really shameful from the part of rajasthan govt.How much
appeasement they will do ?
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