LEAD: Rushdie to miss Indian literary festival over death threat

Jan 20, 2012, 12:55 GMT

New Delhi - Author Salman Rushdie said Friday he would not be attending a literary festival in the north-western Indian city of Jaipur as he had been informed by intelligence agencies of threats to his life from paid assassins.

'I have now been informed by intelligence sources in Maharashtra and Rajasthan that paid assassins from the Mumbai underworld may be on their way to Jaipur to 'eliminate' me,' Rushdie said in a statement.

'While I have some doubts about the accuracy of this intelligence, it would be irresponsible of me to come to the festival in such circumstances; irresponsible to my family, to the festival audience and to my fellow writers.'

He later tweeted: 'Very sad not to be at jaipur. I was told bombay mafia don issued weapons to 2 hitmen to 'eliminate' me. Will do video link instead. Damn.'

Rushdie's decision was announced by the festival organizers within hours of its opening in the Rajasthan state capital under tight security.

He was scheduled to attend the opening of the five-day festival, the biggest in South Asia, but a controversy arose after a prominent Muslim seminary opposed his participation.

In 1989, Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for Rushdie to be killed over his book, The Satanic Verses, which forced the author to spend more than a decade underground.

'This is a great tragedy,' said author William Dalrymple, one of the organizers. 'We hope he will come back in the future.'

A large number of policemen and sniffer dogs were deployed at the venue, Diggi Palace, and many metal detectors were on site despite Rushdie's absence, broadcaster NDTV reported.

The federal Home Ministry had raised a security alert based on intelligence that an Islamist militant organization may target the festival because of Rushdie's presence.

Visitors were being scanned at three different points and CCTVs had been placed at strategic locations.

'The free spirit of the festival is getting overwhelmed by the security,' a disgruntled participant told NDTV.

More than 260 authors and tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the festival. Among the authors are Tom Stoppard, Michael Ondaatje, Ben Okri and television show host Oprah Winfrey.