HVK Archives: Bukhari protests visa for Rushdie
Bukhari protests visa for Rushdie - The Indian Express
Agencies
()
February 5, 1999
Title: Bukhari protests visa for Rushdie
Author: Agencies
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: February 5, 1999
Visiting External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh has cleared the
visa for Indian-born British author Salman Rushdie to visit
India for the first time since the 1980s when his controversial
book The Satanic Verses was banned by the then Congress regime.
The Indian High Commission here cleared the visa after a nod
from visiting External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and the
Union Home Ministry, sources said today.
The decision to grant the visa by the Vajpayee Government is in
sharp contrast to the Congress stand on denying the British
author the chance to visit India.
However, the decision has drawn a sharp reaction from the Naib
Imam of Delhi Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari. He has objected
to Vajpayee Government's decision to grant visa to the
controversial author and demanded its cancellation to maintain
social harmony in the country. Questioning the very intention
of the BJP-led Government to allow the Indian-born author to
visit the country, the naib (deputy) Imam said it was welcoming
a controversial person whose book had hurt the religious
sentiments of Muslims all over the world.
He also took strong objection to the reported statement of Home
Minister L K Advani five months ago that Rushdie was welcome in
India if he was willing to visit the country.
He appealed to Muslims all over the country to protest Rushdie's
proposed visit. "If he comes and the Government welcomes him
and provides security, I appeal to Muslims to protest through
all peaceful means", Bukhari said. He also warned to Government
that it would be solely responsible for any unpleasant incident
against him during his visit to the country.
Significantly, the Congress remained non-committal on the
Government's reported decision. "It is for the government of
the day to make an assessment on the issue. When we were in
power we had banned the book and denied visa to Rushdie as we
had felt that it would lead to communal tension and communal
frenzy in the country", party spokesman, Ajit Jogi, told
reporters.
Earlier, the visa was corrected by Rushdie's lawyer amid
indications that the well known author may make a trip to his
birthplace in the next few weeks.
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