Officials announce the news of calling off Indian born British author Salman Rushdie's video conference at the Jaipur Literature Festival, in Jaipur, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. The organizers of the Indian literary festival called off a video conference with British author Salman Rushdie following protests by Muslim groups who considered his 1988 book "The Satanic Verses" blasphemous. (AP Photo/ Manish Swarup)
Officials announce the news of calling off Indian born British author Salman Rushdie's video conference at the Jaipur Literature Festival, in Jaipur, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. The organizers of the Indian literary festival called off a video conference with British author Salman Rushdie following protests by Muslim groups who considered his 1988 book "The Satanic Verses" blasphemous. (AP Photo/ Manish Swarup)
Visitors wait for the Indian born British author Salman Rushdie's video conference at the Jaipur Literature Festival, in Jaipur, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. The organizers of the Indian literary festival called off a video conference with British author Salman Rushdie following protests by Muslim groups who considered his 1988 book "The Satanic Verses" blasphemous. (AP Photo/ Manish Swarup)
Indian Muslims react after the Indian born British author Salman Rushdie's video conference was called off at the Jaipur Literature Festival, in Jaipur, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. The organizers of the Indian literary festival called off a video conference with British author Salman Rushdie following protests by Muslim groups who considered his 1988 book "The Satanic Verses" blasphemous. (AP Photo/ Manish Swarup)
A visitor reacts when he hears the news of Indian born British author Salman Rushdie's video conference being called off at the Jaipur Literature Festival, in Jaipur, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. The organizers of the Indian literary festival called off a video conference with British author Salman Rushdie following protests by Muslim groups who considered his 1988 book "The Satanic Verses" blasphemous. (AP Photo/ Manish Swarup)
British author and Booker Prize nominee Romesh Gunesekera, left, reads a petition to reconsider the ban on Salman Rushdie's book "The Satanic Verses" before signing as Indian writer Annie Zaidi, looks on at the Jaipur Literature Festival, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, India, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
JAIPUR, India (AP) ? An Indian literary festival canceled a video conference with author Salman Rushdie days after he called off a personal appearance due to protests and threats.
Festival organizers decided to cancel the video address to avoid violence by Muslim activists gathered at the Jaipur Literary Festival, an organizer, Sanjoy Roy, said.
"We have been pushed to the wall. ... Earlier today, a number of organisations came to us and threatened violence," Roy said.
Rushdie said he called off his trip after police told him of a possible assassination threat. He planned a video conference instead, but Roy said the organizers had been threatened with violence if they went ahead with the video link.
Rushdie's works include the Booker Prize-winning "Midnight's Children" and "The Satanic Verses," which some Muslims consider blasphemous.
Scores of protesters crowded the tent where hundreds of festival participants had gathered for the video conference.
The controversy over Rushdie's attendance cast its shadow over the five-day festival, which was attended by tens of thousands of people who came to this city to see Oprah Winfrey and literary stars, such as Michael Ondaatje, Tom Stoppard and Tiger Mom Amy Chua.
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