Lucknow: Although Salman Rushdie has visited India dozens of time since the row over The Satanic Verses erupted and subsided almost two decades ago, the country’s top Islamic seminary, Darul Uloom, Deoband, has chosen the eve of UP elections to demand that the author not be allowed to enter India. Rushdie is expected for the Jaipur Literary festival later this month.
Darul-Uloom’s rector, Maulana Abdul Qasim Nomani, has appealed to the Centre and the UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, to deny Rushdie visa, saying that “the man whose blasphemous writings have hurt the sentiments of Muslims all over the world must not be allowed to set foot on Indian soil”.
This puts the Congress, which is wooing UP’s Muslims, in a serious bind. Trashing the Maulana’s appeal may only derail its efforts to win over Muslims. Moreover, the 135-yearold seminary’s clout extends beyond UP to across India. With its rector pressing for Sonia’s intervention, the demand would be hard to ignore.
“We expect the government to be prompt and tough, the way it was over the Russian court’s ban on Bhagvad Gita for allegedly promoting terror activities,” Nomani said. “Rushdie’s visit is bound to affect the sentiments of the minority community and it must therefore evoke a sharp response as well. We hope that the government would not pursue a dual policy,” Nomani added.
Darul-Uloom’s rector, Maulana Abdul Qasim Nomani, has appealed to the Centre and the UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, to deny Rushdie visa, saying that “the man whose blasphemous writings have hurt the sentiments of Muslims all over the world must not be allowed to set foot on Indian soil”.
This puts the Congress, which is wooing UP’s Muslims, in a serious bind. Trashing the Maulana’s appeal may only derail its efforts to win over Muslims. Moreover, the 135-yearold seminary’s clout extends beyond UP to across India. With its rector pressing for Sonia’s intervention, the demand would be hard to ignore.
“We expect the government to be prompt and tough, the way it was over the Russian court’s ban on Bhagvad Gita for allegedly promoting terror activities,” Nomani said. “Rushdie’s visit is bound to affect the sentiments of the minority community and it must therefore evoke a sharp response as well. We hope that the government would not pursue a dual policy,” Nomani added.
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