New Delhi [India], July 20 : Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin has retaliated against Left leaders in West Bengal for allegedly labelling her a supporter of the BJP and RSS ahead of her upcoming visit to Kolkata after a gap of nearly 19 years, clarifying that her invitation came from a secular body and that the state administration's responsibility is restricted solely to ensuring her safety.
In a strongly worded post on X, Nasrin stated that her visit was organised by the Secular Mission, an outfit spearheaded by a "progressive Muslim personality", Osman Gani Mallik, thereby dismissing allegations that the BJP was behind her return.
https://x.com/taslimanasreen/status/2078824263314964572?s=20
"Is the BJP bringing me to Kolkata? No. Is the Government of West Bengal bringing me? No," she wrote.
"The elected government of West Bengal is only providing security for my visit. Whenever I travel to any state, irrespective of which political party is in power, it is the responsibility of that state's government to ensure my security. That is a normal administrative duty," she added.
Targeting factions of the Left, Nasrin pointed out that the very leaders who had previously expelled her from West Bengal were now alleging that she is associated with the BJP, RSS, or Hindutva.
"They had driven me out of West Bengal, and now they claim that merely setting foot in the state makes me a Hindutva supporter, a BJP supporter, or an RSS supporter."
The author further highlighted what she termed as hypocrisy among Left leaders, noting that she had visited Kerala multiple times following invitations from the CPI(M) administration, where she received a warm welcome alongside Z+ security.
"At that time, did these Left leaders in Kolkata abuse me as a Leftist, or did they celebrate my visits?" she questioned.
Nasrin raised questions over why her short two-day visit to Kolkata had sparked what she termed a campaign of "false propaganda", highlighting that she is coming back to the city after precisely 18 years, eight months, and 10 days.
The author also reiterated her criticism of consecutive administrations in West Bengal, asserting that the Left Front administration had driven her out of Kolkata, while the succeeding Trinamool Congress government barred her entry into the state, halted the telecast of a television serial authored by her, and blocked one of her book releases.
Furthermore, she charged segments of the Left with appeasing Islamic fundamentalists while staying silent on matters concerning free expression and internal reform within the Muslim community.
In the final remarks of her social media statement, Nasrin questioned how much longer certain Left leaders would manage "to wear the mask of progressivism while speaking the language of jihadists".
This upcoming visit will mark her first return to Kolkata since November 2007, when the incumbent Left Front government directed her to leave the city following violent agitations triggered by her literary works, specifically parts of her autobiography Dwikhandita. The scale of the unrest had necessitated the deployment of the Army before Nasrin was escorted out of the state.
The planned visit has taken on considerable political significance following the BJP's ascension to power in West Bengal.