CM says Rushdie welcome, retracts

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Chief minister Sheila Dikshit releases balloons during the National Girl Child Day celebrations in New Delhi on Tuesday.—Biplab

Hours after indicating that she did not have any problem in allowing Salman Rushdie to come here, chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday said there is no question of welcoming Mr Rushdie as a guest to the city.
Sensing the trouble, the chief minister office sent a clarification within hours claiming that “there is no question of welcoming English writer, Mr Salman Rushdie, as a guest in the capital city”.
“Mr Rushdie is a well known writer. He has also been honoured with prestigious Brooker Award. As a writer we respect him,” the chief minister said through a statement.
Ms Dikshit’s comments came hours after Rushdie’s planned video address at the Jaipur Literature Festival was cancelled.
Earlier in the day Ms Dikhshit said, “Rushdie is a great writer and he will be welcomed if he wants to come to Delhi.”
Meanwhile, addressing a function to celebrate the National Girl Child Day at Talkatora Stadium, Ms Dikshit said the skewed child sex ratio in Delhi was a matter of concern. She also claimed that the government has initiated a range of welfare measures to improve the gender disparity.
Citing government statistics in the last five years, Ms Dikshit said, in 2008, the sex ratio had improved, but it dropped in 2010 despite introduction of number schemes, like Laadli Yojna, to save the girl child. As per 2011 census, Delhi’s sex ratio of children up to six years of age has dropped to 866 girls per 1,000 boys from 868 girls in 2001. The child sex ratio of Delhi is much below the national average of 914.
“The female and male sex ratio in Delhi is not healthy. In 2008, we had about 1,004 females against 1,000 males. But 2010 witnessed a drop. It is surely a matter of concern,” Ms Sheila Dikshit told reporters here.
She said that despite a ban, some nursing homes continue to conduct prenatal sex determination tests and added that her government was determined to come down hard on them.
“Female foeticide is also a moral and social issue. We appeal to people to save the girl child. The government is chalking out a multi-pronged strategy to address the problem and achieve 100 per cent success,” she added.