Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen, famous for her controversial writings was sent back from her visit to the world heritage sites Ajanta and Ellora, in Aurangabad. She faced a group of people protesting against her visit to the city in the airport only, and she was sent back to the airport in Aurangabad to Mumbai.
Nasreen landed at the Chikal thana Airport by a flight from Mumbai. Police stopped the author from stepping out of the airport, where a crowd had gathered shouting slogans like “Taslima Go Back”. Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone-II) Rahul Shrirame said Nasreen was sent back to Mumbai by the next flight to avoid any law and order problem in this city in central Maharashtra.
The protest at the airport was led by Imtiyaz Jaleel, the AIMIM legislator from the Aurangabad central constituency. Protesters had also gathered outside a hostel where Nasreen was to stay during her three-day visit. Commenting on this, Jaleel said, “her writings have hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims across the world and we will not allow her to step on the soil of our city.”
While giving information about the issue, the police said that they had come to know that the writer was planning to visit the world heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora besides other tourist spots in Aurangabad. The author was advised to forego her visit to the city and she agreed to go back, the police officer said.
Nasreen, a citizen of Sweden, has been getting Indian visa on a continuous basis since 2004. The author is living in exile since she left Bangladesh in 1994 in the wake of threats to her by fundamentalist groups. Although the Union home ministry had extended her visa for one year last month with effect from July 23, 2017, but in India people are protesting against her because of her controversial writings.
