Salman Rushdie in Delhi, says fanatics cause biggest harm to Islam

NEW DELHI: Two months after the Jaipur literary fiasco, celebrated novelist Salman Rushdie said on Saturday in New Delhi that a disgraceful vote bank politics is happening in India. He also said Congress miscalculated him.
Addressing the India Today Conclave in New Delhi, Salman Rushdie said: "fanatics cause biggest harm to Islam".
Rushdie said Pakistan's cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who was supposed to join the conclave, "is a man from a old school who doesn't have any idea on the new-found technology like internet and emails".
Earlier, Rushdie had to cancel his visit to Jaipur in January to attend the literary fest there after Muslim organisations threatened to protest against his presence. Organisers also had to cancel his address through a video link fearing violence.
The author had in January had asserted that he would come to India whenever his busy schedule permits without allowing "these religious gangsters and their cronies in the government to stop me" and asked the government to "deal with it".
His presence at the conclave had prompted Imran Khan to pull out of the event.
Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party chief Khan had said that he "could not even think of participating in any programme that included Salman Rushdie, who has caused immeasurable hurt to Muslims across the globe".
Anticipating protests, security was strengthened in and out of the five-star hotel.