Bengal CM blocked my Kolkata visit, says Rushdie

IANS/Kolkata Taking the West Bengal government head on, author Salman Rushdie yesterday said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had ordered the police to block his arrival to Kolkata and that organisers of the literary festival were lying when they claimed he had not been invited to the event. The controversial author of The Satanic Verses, who found himself back in the headlines when his visit to Kolkata was called off, hit back with a series of tweets. The 65-year-old was slated to visit Kolkata to promote Deepa Mehta’s film Midnight’s Children, based on his novel. Hours before the scheduled arrival, Muslim groups under the banner of Milli Ittehad Parishad demonstrated on Wednesday morning near the airport and only relented after authorities said he was not coming. Since then senior ministers and government officials have claimed they had no knowledge of Rushdie intending to visit Kolkata. Rushdie disagreed. “The simple fact is that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had ordered the police to block my arrival,” said a tweet. Rushdie also took on the Kolkata Literary Meet (KLM) organisers for claiming they had not invited him. Rushdie said he had e-mails and plane tickets sent to him by them as proof of their lie.  “Finally re Kolkata: the lit meet organisers are lying when they say I wasn’t invited. I have e-mails and plane tkt sent by them to prove it,” Rushdie’s tweet stated. In a separate tweet, the author slammed the police for giving his itinerary to the “press” and calling Muslim groups. “The police gave my full itinerary to the press and called Muslim leaders, clearly inciting protests.” Replying to another tweet, he said: “I did not get ‘friendly advice’ to stay away from Kolkata. I was told the police would put me on next plane out.” Rushdie’s tweets came two days after the film’s director, Deepa Mehta, said in a tweet that Rushdie was supposed to be a surprise guest at the KLM. “Salman Rushdie was going to be a surprise guest ..Lit meet paid 4 his tkt,” Mehta’s tweet stated. Rushdie was slated to hold a media meet about the film and attend an autograph session. He had planned to visit Kolkata Book Fair – which began on January 26 and continues till February 10 - and attend a session at the KLM on Midnight’s Children on Wednesday evening. The KLM, held as part of the book fair, had officially listed Mehta, the film’s producer David Hamilton and actor Rahul Bose as speakers at the session. So far, KLM organisers – Gameplan - have either outrightly denied having invited Rushdie or parried a direct reply. After Rushdie called off his visit, Mehta also opted out to express solidarity with the author while Hamilton dropped out citing illness. In the end, literary enthusiasts had to be satisfied with a one-on-one with Rahul Bose. In January 2012, Rushdie had to call off a visit to the Jaipur Literary Festival following protests and death threats. The main cast of Midnight’s Children, along with Rushdie, has toured Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore over the past week. Kolkata was to be the last port of call.