Mehta would later say that the terrorists -- and by extension other Islamic militants who believe in suicide killings and other acts of terrorism -- targeted Mumbai not only because it is the economic nerve centre of India, but it is also a city that offered pleasure, especially through Bollywood movies.

"It is home of profane dreams," he said referring to Bollywood. He also said a few years ago on a visit to Lahore he went to a prominent DVD store asking for Pakistani films. The shop owner was surprised that anyone would make such a request. The shop was full of Bollywood films, Mehta said, chuckling. After a while, the shop owner sheepishly produced a few DVDs, pulling them out from the bottom of the shelf, telling Mehta they were just of a few Lollywood (made in Lahore) films he had.

"Bombay is a living affront to those who believe pleasures begin only after death," Mehta said.

"Bombay symbolises (to the terrorists) indiscriminate openness," Mehta continued. "It is the symbol of everything that the terrorists are against."

For the terrorists who brutally killed dozens of people in Bombay, Rushdie added, happiness comes not only from violence, but also snorting cocaine and using high-powered modern drugs that kept them awake for days.

The Pakistan government led by President Asif Ali Zardari has shown "absolute hypocrisy" saying that there was not evidence that the 10 terrorists are Pakistanis, he said. India's Consul General in New York Prabhu Dayal said later at the meeting that Pakistan has refused to accept the bodies of the nine terrorist killed by the Indian security agencies.

Even the fact that a man has come forward in Pakistan and claimed the surviving terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab as his son, even as some sections of the Pakistan press says there is evidence that the men are indeed from Pakistan, and even as America has talked openly about terrorist operations directed against India within Pakistan, Zardari is still waiting for evidence, Rushdie said, shaking his head and smiling wanly.

Rushdie also pilloried the Left, particularly Arundhati Roy, who argued that 'the reason for these attacks was injustice,' in many cases against Muslims in India. Rushdie said that over the years he has written about the Indian security forces "treating every Kashmiri as terrorists" But he has also talked about the militants creating terror and injustice. How can the acts of terror in Bombay or elsewhere create a system of justice? he asked.

"I want to take issue with this," he said referring to Roy's op-ed piece in London's The Guardian and Outlook magazine which argued, among other things, India must fight terrorism with justice, or face civil war.

Roy also wrote: 'We're told one of these hotels is an icon of the city of Mumbai. That's absolutely true. It's an icon of the easy, obscene injustice that ordinary Indians endure every day.'

Rushdie was full of silent rage discussing her remarks.

"It is disgusting to read her comments," he said, adding that her suggestion that the Taj and Oberoi hotels only catered to the rich, begged the question if the lives of rich people have no meaning. How about an over dozen employees of the Taj who died heroically trying to save the hotel guests, Rushdie asked. "Are they then just the lackeys of the rich?" he wondered, his voice rising slightly. "I find her thoughts nauseating. She should be ashamed of herself."

Suketu Mehta joined Rushdie immediately pointing out dozens had died at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and asked if the train station wasn't an icon too?

Also read: 'The Mumbai attacks were directed at the US too'

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