New Delhi: First, Muslim hardliners turned the heat on controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen. So much so that she had to run for her life from Kolkata.
And now, it is the turn of celebrated writer Salman Rushdie to face their wrath.
Rushdie is in Mumbai on the invitation of socialite and a member of the Godrej Industries family, Parmeshwar Godrej, to take part in a new AIDS campaign launched by the Godrej group.
A Muslim body in Mumbai, the All India Ulema Association, has taken serious offence to Rushdie's presence in the city and is now directing its anger towards the Godrej Group.
The association has appealed to the entire Muslim community to boycott all Godrej products. They say Parmeshwar Godrej is mocking their community by inviting Salman Rushdie to be a part of her AIDS initiative.
''It is a well known fact that Rushdie has always hurt religious sentiments of the Muslim community through his blasphemous writings. And Ms Godrej by playing host to him has, in a way, tried to make a mockery of the community. So we appeal to the Muslims to boycott Godrej products,'' President of the All India Ulema Association, Maulana Ali Athar Ali was quoted by news agency UNI as saying.
The Muslim outfit wants the Godrej group to apologise for the "insult" to their community.
The association would also stage a 'dharna' at the Group's headquarters in protest against the invite, after the 10th Moharram, which falls on January 19.
And this is not the only quarters which is targeting Rushdie. Activists of the Samajwadi Party also protested against his presence in Mumbai. Party workers staged a protest in Juhu on Sunday demanding that Rushdie be asked to leave the city.
They raised slogans against Rushdie and burnt an effigy of his. Protestors led by Samajwadi Party Mumbai unit chief Farooq Ghoshi also chanted slogans against the state government and the Centre for permitting the controversial author to visit India.
They demanded that Rushdie not be allowed to stay on in the city as his presence could cause violence.
The protestors alleged that it was due to Rushdie's allegedly blasphemous writings in his book The Satanic Verses, that 12 innocent youths lost their lives in police firing at a protest march in 1989.
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