Under fire over Taslima talk, Bose eats his words

New Delhi: CPI-M's state General Secretary and Left Front Chairman Biman Bose had to eat his words on Thursday after he came under fire from intellectuals for his statement that Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen should leave Kolkata if her stay disturbs peace.

Retracting his statement, Bose on Thursday said only the Union Government can cancel or extend her visa. "I should have mentioned this in clear language," he said.

"I don't want to speak elaborately on the role played by the Centre on Taslima Nasreen's stay in West Bengal. But if her stay creates a problem for peace, she should leave the state," Bose had said in a written statement issued on Wednesday evening.

Referring to his comments, Bose now says he would like to revise the statement and make it clear that it is for the Union Government to decide whether or not to allow Taslima to live in India. "I should have mentioned this in clear language that the state government does not have the authority to grant or cancel visa and only the Centre can do this and let the Union government take an appropriate decision on the issue," he said.

"I, on behalf of the state party (CPI-M), would like to make the people aware that I revise my statement of last night. Let the Union Government take an appropriate decision on this issue," Bose said.

The BJP had reacted strongly to the remark on Thursday. "How can you ask her to leave West Bengal when she has been allowed to stay anywhere in India," BJP leader VK Malhotra said. "Taslima should be accorded full protection," he demanded.

The Congress, however, steered clear of the issue. "This is a decision that the Home Ministry has to take. The question of giving visa to any person who is not Indian is a decision taken at the national level by the Home Ministry," AICC spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said.

Biman Bose had made the remarks following large-scale violence in central Kolkata during a shutdown called by a Muslim outfit, called All India Minority Forum, which had demanded cancellation of the visa of the Bangladeshi writer. The visa of the Bangladeshi writer has been extended by the Centre till February 17.

The Left Front chairman said "miscreants in the name of the All India Minority Forum ran amok." People cutting across political parties and opinion have condemned it, he said, and appealed to the people to be alert.

(With PTI inputs)