Centre assures full security to Taslima

The Centre on Friday assured full protection to controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen who was sent to the national capital after Rajasthan government declined to allow her stay in Jaipur.

New Delhi, Nov 23 : The Centre on Friday assured full protection to controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen who was sent to the national capital after Rajasthan government declined to allow her stay in Jaipur.

In a brief statement released by the Union Home Ministry, it stated, "She (Taslima Nasreen) has a valid Indian visa till February 17, 2008. She should be given appropriate security wherever she is."

"If necessary, Home Ministry will speak to concerned State governments to ensure this. We are keeping a watch on the situation," it added.

Nasreen, who reached Delhi by road after an overnight stay in Jaipur, was moved out of Kolkata after Wednesday's violent protest by All India Minority Forum (AIMF).

The Army was called in and curfew was imposed in various parts of Kolkata following violent protests.

Meanwhile, a top official of the West Bengal Government said that he has no information about Taslima and that she is an independent person to move wherever she likes in India. asreen has been living in exile for more than ten years now after her novel, Lajja, was termed anti-Islamic by religious leaders in her home country.

Since the 1990s, Nasreen has faced numerous threats from Islamic groups for her writings. Recently, she was attacked by activists of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) at a book release function in Hyderabad.

ANI