Salman Rushdie's remarks irk BJP, says Indian politicians not eager for his approval

Commenting on controversial author Salman Rushdie's statements, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday said that Indian politicians and political parties were not too eager for a letter of approval by him.

"Salman Rushdie certifying the political system of this country is laughable, because, no Indian politician or political party is asking for his letter of approval. And neither should be try to give one," Naqvi told the media here.

Speaking at a conference here on Saturday, Rushdie targeted Congress party and Rahul Gandhi, saying the Jaipur fiasco was their useless electoral calculations of trying to appease Muslim voters in the state elections held soon after the festival.

In January, Rushdie was forced to withdraw from the Jaipur Literature Festival following threats and protests from Islamic extremists over his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses.

He backed out after police and government officials warned him that there was an assassination attempt targeting him.