India-born author Salman Rushdie attacked on lecture stage in New York
New York, Aug 12: Salman Rushdie, the Mumbai-born author of the Booker Prize-winning novel Midnight's Children', was attacked by a man who stormed the stage during an event here on Friday while he was getting ready to deliver a lecture.
Rushdie, 75, who suffered years of death threats after the controversial book titled 'The Satanic Verses', was either punched or stabbed by a man on stage while he was being introduced at the event of the Chautauqua Institution in Western New York.
A video posted online shows attendees rushing onto the stage immediately following the incident. The attacker is said to have been restrained by those on the scene.
Rushdie's condition is not currently known, the BBC reported.
Author Salman Rushdie was stabbed after taking the stage at a Chautauqua Institute event. He received aid on-site and was able to eventually walk off stage with assistance, Twitter user Ryan Kelly said in a tweet.
Salmon Rushdie stabbed at Chautauqua. He's on the stage being treated. Before his scheduled speech, said Mary Newsom, a freelance journalist from Charlotte.
She tweeted a photo of moments after the attack that showed crews, and law enforcement authorities on stage.
Rushdie's fourth book, in 1988 - The Satanic Verses - forced him into hiding for nine years.
A year after the book's publication, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called for Rushdie's execution for publishing the book for its blasphemous content.
According to witnesses at the scene, Rushdie fell through a barrier to the stage and was seen with blood on his hands. The audience tackled the attacker. Rushdie was then treated onstage following the assault.
Since the 1980s, Rushdie's writing has led to death threats from Iran, which has offered a USD 3 million reward for anyone who kills him.
Rushdie returns to Chautauqua Institution for a special Chautauqua Lecture Series event exploring the Week Seven theme of More than Shelter, joined by Henry Reese, co-founder of the Pittsburgh nonprofit City of Asylum - the largest residency programme in the world for writers living in exile under threat of persecution - for a discussion of the United States as asylum for writers and other artists in exile and as a home for freedom of creative expression.
#BREAKING: India born author Salman Rushdie stabbed on stage at an event in New York. Attacker arrested by the Police. Rushdie has faced death threats from Islamists since years after writing The Satanic Verses. The event where he was attacked was by @chq. pic.twitter.com/56o13hFNHg
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) August 12, 2022
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Integrity of electoral process severely compromised, Cong to soon launch movement: CWC
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress Working Committee met here on Friday and adopted a resolution alleging the integrity of the entire electoral process was being severely compromised against which the party would soon launch a movement.
In the resolution of the top body of the Congress, the party said free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that was being called into "serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission".
The CWC, which met amid the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, said the session has been a washout so far because of the Narendra Modi government's "stubborn refusal" to have an immediate discussion on three pressing national issues -- "the recent revelations regarding corruption by a business group, and the violence in Manipur and Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal".
Asked why the Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolution does not name the business group, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "The answer is the Adani group".
"The CWC believes the integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. Free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission.
"Increasing sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive. The Congress will take these up these public concerns as a national movement," the resolution stated.
Addressing a joint press conference along with Ramesh and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, party general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said the party discussed the political situation in the country for four-and-half hours and adopted the resolution.
He said the CWC has decided to constitute internal committees to look into electoral performance and organisational matters.
About the Assembly polls results in Maharashtra, Venugopal said the electoral outcome in the state was "beyond normal understanding and it appears to be a clear case of targeted manipulation".
