JAIPUR: Muslims groups have warned the organizers of Jaipur Literature Festival against allowing four authors - who read out passages from the banned book 'Satanic Verses' by Salman Rushdie - to participate in this year's Jaipur Lit Fest. The statement was released by a panel of Islamic clerics and scholars during a national conference on "Azmat -E-Namoos -E-Rasool" (Respect and Honour of Prophet Muhammad) held at Ravindra Manch, Jaipur on Sunday in the presence of approximately 20,000 attendees from across the state.

JLF-2013 will take place from January 24 to 28 at Diggi Palace in Jaipur. TOI sought a response from one of the founder directors of JLF, Namita Gokhala on this statement but got no response. Authors - Jeet Thayil, Ruchir Joshi, Amitva Kumar and Hari Kunzru - created a furor last year when they read out passages from the controversial book in public to express their support to Rushdie, whose visit to JLF-2012 had been opposed by the Muslim hardliners.

Interestingly, names of two of the four authors - Jeet Thayil and Ruchir Joshi - are part of the speakers list of JLF-2013 on its website and has irked the Muslim leaders.

Justifying their stand, Sajid Sehrai, an Islamic scholor and organizer of the event said, "These authors have violated Indian law by reading out passages from a banned book. It calls for legal action against them," adding that already half-a-dozen court cases were pending against them under IPC.

The speakers also contended that law should treat everyone as equal. "The hate speech by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen 's MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi was vociferously condemned by us. He was arrested for the same but why does the same law not apply to these writers. Both have hurt the sentiments, but why is one penalized while the others enjoy support from a section on the pretext of 'right to express their views'? Reading most controversial passages of that book has defamed Prophet Mohammad and it is unacceptable," said Mujahid Naqvi of Milli Council.

A series of complaints have been filed in separate courts, including five at Jaipur and one at Ajmer against the authors and organizers. In most of these cases, the court has sought evidence from the petitioners. Muzaffer Bharti, president of Maulana Azad Lok Kalyan Sansthan, who filed a case against them in Ajmer Court said, "We are ready with evidence and will ask the police to arrest them for hurting the sentiments of Muslims." His views were echoed by Naqvi who also had filed a complaint in a Jaipur court.

Clarification

The above report erroneously mentions the author of 'Breakout Nations' Ruchir Sharma as one of those who read out portions of Salman Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses' at the Jaipur literature festival in Jan 2012. Muslim groups have opposed participation of author Ruchir Joshi and not Ruchir Sharma, who is chairing a session with Nandan Nilekani and had nothing to do with the reading.