Salman Rushdie is "pulling through" and is on the "road to recovery, his former wife and celebrated TV personality Padma Lakshmi and his agent said on Sunday, two days after the Mumbai-born author was stabbed in New York in what US authorities described as a "targeted, unprovoked, preplanned" attack.
Rushdie was taken off a ventilator on Saturday and could talk after the best-selling author was stabbed on stage at a literary event in New York state on Friday.
Rushdie, 75, and Chennai-born Lakshmi married in 2004 and got divorced in 2007. Lakshmi, 51, who is herself an author and the host of the hit culinary TV show TopChef, was Rushdie's fourth wife.
"Relieved @SalmanRushdie is pulling through after Friday's nightmare. Worried and wordless, can finally exhale. Now hoping for swift healing, she said in a tweet.
The New York Times reported that Rushdie's agent Andrew Wylie said, "The road to recovery has begun. It will be long; the injuries are severe, but his condition is headed in the right direction."
Rushdie, who faced Islamist death threats for years after writing The Satanic Verses, was stabbed by a 24-year-old New Jersey resident identified as Hadi Matar, a US national of Lebanese origin, on stage on Friday while he was being introduced at a literary event of the Chautauqua Institution in Western New York.
Earlier on Saturday, Matar pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and assault at a brief court appearance where he was denied bail.
Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt provided the details of Rushdie's injuries in court during Matar's arraignment Saturday afternoon.
The author's injuries include three stab wounds to the right side of the front of his neck, four stab wounds to his stomach, a puncture wound to his right eye and chest, and a laceration on his right thigh, according to the county prosecutor.
"This was a targeted, unprovoked, preplanned attack on Mr Rushdie," Schmidt alleged.
Matar faces up to 32 years if convicted of both charges, Schmidt said.
The attack on Rushdie drew shock and condemnation from world leaders and literary stalwarts. US President Joe Biden said in a statement on Saturday that he and First Lady Jill Biden were "shocked and saddened" to learn of the "vicious" attack on the author.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is "appalled" to learn about the attack on Rushdie.
"In no case is violence a response to words spoken or written by others in their exercise of the freedoms of opinion and expression," Guterres said, conveying his wishes for Rushdie's early recovery. "
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell strongly condemned the attack on Saturday night.
"International rejection of such criminal actions, which violate fundamental rights and freedoms, is the only path towards a better and more peaceful world," Borrell tweeted.
Rushdie lived in hiding and under police protection for years after late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini put out a fatwa in 1989 calling for his death in retribution for his book The Satanic Verses.
Rushdie, the author of 14 novels, was knighted in 2007 for services to literature.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
