Taslima shifted to undisclosed location

New Delhi, Nov 27: Controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen has been shifted from the Rajasthan House in Delhi to an undisclosed safe house. Taslima was reportedly moved out at around midnight from Rajasthan House to avoid the media. According to reports, she was escorted by Intelligence Bureau officials in a decoy car. Taslima has been handed over to the Central Government.

She was staying at Rajasthan House since November 23. Earlier, she was in Jaipur. Nasreen was moved out of West Bengal after a violent protest by demonstrators under the banner of All India Minority Forum (AIMF). They are demanding the cancellation of her visa.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday urged the Union Government to grant permanent visa to her in the wake of protests against her stay in Kolkata that has led to her shifting from one city to another. Senior BJP leader V K Malhotra also criticised the UPA Government for not speaking on the issue.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury said that it is the Central Government's prerogative to issue visa and also where that person should stay. The BJP had demanded a political refugee status for Nasreen.

The Centre has assured full protection to her. Nasreen's visa to stay in India is valid till February 17, 2008, and she has been living in exile for more than ten years. since the 1990s, Nasreen has faced numerous threats from Islamic groups for her writings. Recently, activists of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) attacked her at a book release function in Hyderabad .

The European Parliament awarded her the Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought in 1994.

ANI>