Key Points:
Salman Rushdie recently shared his view about PM Modi and RSS' attempt to increase its influence in USA.
Salman Rushdie is popular author who has written Midnight’s Children (1981), Shame (1983), and The Satanic Verses (1988) etc.
Salman Rushdie was born into a Kashmiri Muslim family in Bombay (now Mumbai), India.
“HE HAS A VERY BRUTAL SIDE,” said author Salman Rushdie about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in reference to the 2002 Gujarat violence. His recent remarks have been trending on social media after several netizens started digging up incidents from his past, particularly the attack on his life in 2022 by an American-Lebanese man. The Indian-born British-American novelist is predominantly known for works such as Midnight’s Children (1981), Shame (1983), and The Satanic Verses (1988), among others.
In an interview with host Margaret Hoover on her show Firing Line with Margaret Hoover, posted by Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) on September 4, 2026, author Salman Rushdie discussed various topics—from the attempted murder of Rushdie in 2022 to comparing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing paramilitary organisation, with the Irish Republican Army (IRA). His comments, however, were not well received by many netizens.
Host Margaret Hoover asked the Midnight’s Children author for his views on the RSS’s recent expansion and its attempts to increase its influence in the United States, referring to the recently held RSS event at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Salman Rushdie replied, “I think it is unfortunately the case that a lot of Hindu Indian Americans are attracted to the ideas of Hindu nationalism.” Rushdie later compared the right-wing paramilitary organisation with the IRA and discussed how extensively it was supported by Irish Americans.
Many users slammed Rushdie, calling him a “hypocrite” and describing his statement as ironic. One user recalled the 2022 attack on the author, who was stabbed multiple times, including in the eyes, while on stage in New York. An American-Lebanese man, named Hadi Matar, was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The attack partially blinded him. According to reports, prosecutors argued that Matar was influenced by a fatwa issued against Rushdie years ago by former Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Khomeini.
Users recalled the brutal attack and slammed Rushdie for his comparison between the RSS and the IRA. One user on X took a dig at the author, writing, “The spectacle of Salman Rushdie being highly concerned about Hindu nationalism in India being a threat when his eye was gouged out in upstate New York by a California-born Muslim 33 years after the Iranian Ayatollah declared a fatwa on him for writing a book … is quite something.”
The host further brought up a past statement by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani about PM Modi, in which Mamdani labelled PM Modi a “war criminal” for his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. At the time, Narendra Modi was serving as the Chief Minister of the state and was later given a clean chit in connection with the violence that occurred in Gujarat.
When Hoover asked Salman Rushdie whether he agreed with Mayor Mamdani’s view of PM Modi, he answered, “Many of us suspect that the leadership of Gujarat, which is one of the big states of India, and he was the chief minister, that the Hindu leadership was involved in encouraging what became a murderous moment in the life of the state.”
Rushdie raised a question about PM Modi’s exoneration and expressed his belief that the then Chief Minister of Gujarat was responsible for the violence.
“I don't know whether he's a war criminal because there wasn't a war, but I think he has a very brutal side,” said Salman Rushdie.
Salman Rushdie’s name has been associated with several controversies in the past. Ayatollah Khomeini, the first Supreme Leader of Iran, issued a fatwa against Rushdie in 1989 over his novel The Satanic Verses (1988), which was deemed “blasphemous” because of its depiction of Prophet Muhammad. As per reports, Salman Rushdie was condemned to death at the time. Rushdie reportedly lived in seclusion for several years following the fatwa against him.
Salman Rushdie was born into a Kashmiri Muslim family in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. He was born into a well-off family and has three sisters. His most recent work is The Eleventh Hour, released in 2025.
(Edited by Agniva Ray)
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