Mahoba, January 21: Amid the controversy over Salman Rushdie’s India visit, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Uma Bharti on Saturday said that the Congress will be looking to exploit the issue to the hilt to win over Muslims voters in Uttar Pradesh. Bharti, who is on a whirlwind tour of Uttar Pradesh, has been attacked by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Digvijay Singh and Pramod Tiwari among others since BJP president Nitin Gadkari announced that she would contest from Charkhari constituency in Mahoba district. Both the parties are now accusing each other of polarizing the elections to win votes.

‘We have never said Rushdie’s book should be banned’

salman Rushdie has also made fun of Lord Hanuman in his book The Satanic Verses. If you read the book you will find that he uses satirical language against him.

“But we have never said the book should be banned. An author should be allowed his freedom of expression till he does not try to denigrate somebody,” Bharti told mediaperons.

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, who is facing charges in the Babri mosque demolition case, said the Rushdie affair will be used by the Congress in the elections in UP to woo Muslims.

“As the Uttar Pradesh elections are on, you never know in what different ways the Congress will exploit Rushdie.

“He will be used a tasty dish to be served to Muslims in various forms — with salt and with sugar — to win them over,” Bharti said.

Source: rediff.com