'His feisty and defiant sense of humour remains intact': Salman Rushdie's son

Salman Rushdie has his “feisty and defiant” sense of humour intact despite battling severe, life-changing injuries, his son said on Sunday, two days after the Mumbai-born author was stabbed in what US authorities described as a "targeted, preplanned" attack.

His son Zafar Rushdie said on Sunday that the family was “extremely relieved” that the best-selling author was taken off the ventilator and additional oxygen on Saturday and he was able to say a few words.

“Following the attack on Friday, my father remains in critical condition in hospital receiving extensive ongoing medical treatment,” he said in a statement posted on Twitter.

“Though his life-changing injuries are severe, his usual feisty and defiant sense of humour remains intact,” he said.

The family expressed gratitude to the audience members who bravely leapt to Rushdie's defense and administered first-aid after he was stabbed multiple times at the Chautauqua Institution in Western New York on Friday.

The family thanked the police and doctors for their care. They also expressed gratitude for the “outpouring of love and support from around the world.” “We ask for continued patience and privacy as the family come together at his bedside to support and help him through this time,” the statement said.

Earlier, Rushdie's former wife and celebrated TV personality Lakshmi said in a tweet: “Relieved @SalmanRushdie is pulling through after Friday’s nightmare. Worried and wordless, can finally exhale. Now hoping for swift healing.” Rushdie 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.

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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, the 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.