To embarrass the Congress and the Left parties, the Sangh Parivar is going full steam and capitalise on the raging controversy over Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, who is under attack from Muslim fundamentalists. While RSS chief K S Sudarshan said Nasreen should be given political asylum, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi opened his election campaign on Tuesday by offering to provide protection to the author. In fact, both the leaders echoed the BJP’s stated position on the issue. “She should be given political asylum,” Sudarshan said at a function to release the book, Saffron Surge, written by Panchajanya editor Tarun Vijay. “Jag ke thukrae logo ko, lo mere ghar ka khula dwar (People deserted by others are welcome to my place),” the Sangh chief said. Meanwhile, international president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Ashok Singhal, too supported the author. “We are in support of freedom of expression of people. Bangladesh Government should realise and act on it,” he said. Addressing an election rally in Botad town of Bhavnagar district in Gujarat, Modi said: “Taslima has been courageous in speaking out against fundamentalists. If the Central Government cannot look after her, send her to Gujarat. The people and the Government of Gujarat will look after her. I have the courage to protect her.” Modi said the Centre has been unsuccessful in stopping infiltration from Bangladesh but is now chasing away Nasreen from one place to another. Meanwhile, the BJP termed “strange” the shifting of Nasreen to an undisclosed location by the Centre and sought to know her whereabouts. “We would like to know where she is. I had raised the issue in Parliament also,” BJP deputy leader in Lok Sabha Vijay Kumar Malhotra said, and alleged that even the Rajasthan Government, which had put her in its guest house, was not told about the move to shift her out in the middle of the night.Taslima book delayedKolkata: Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen’s sudden and forced flight from Kolkata has upset the schedule for her almost-complete sixth book. “We expected the manuscript by early next month but we have given up hope. We are so disappointed,” said Shivani Mukherjee, owner of People’s Book Society which has published the writer’s earlier five books.
