Nasreen again in controversy leading to ouster demand

Kolkata, Jun 19 (UNI) Incensed at 'defamation' of Islam', West Bengal Minority Council today threatened a 'civil unrest' if Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen was not deported from the state.

Alleging that the controversial author had defamed Islam in a literary workshop in the city last week, Council President Shahanshah Jahangir said the organisation had written to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, demanding that her visa should not be extended.

''If her visa is further extended, it will lead to a great civil unrest and cause severe resentment among the Muslims, who feel great humiliation,'' he said.

The 43-year-old Bangladeshi writer, who had been repeatedly embroiled in controversy both in her home country and India for her feminist stand and outlook on religion and sexuality, made certain remarks on 'Allah' and Koran which incurred the wrath of the Council.

Referring to the controversies sparked earlier over Ms .Nasreen's novels 'Lajja' and 'Dwikhandita', Mr.Jehangir said she had been repeatedly indulging in similar acts and the community would not accept any further attempt to defame Islam.

Ms.Nasreen had fled Bangladesh in 1994 after fundamentalists called for her death for her book, ''Lajja'', banned for alleged blasphemy.

She had been living in the US and Europe before coming to West Bengal and applying for Indian citizenship which is pending with the Union Home Ministry.

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