India's home affairs minister L.K. Advani says the British Author, Salman Rushdie, would now be welcome to visit the country in which he was born and haswritten about for years.

India was the first country to ban Mr Rushdie's book, The Satanic Verses, even before Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khomeiniannounced his Fatwa or death sentence on Mr Rushdie.

The Minister said Mr Rushdie would be given the neccesary security when he decides to visit, but there's no sign that the government intends to allow the sale of his book.