With the Taslima Nasreen becoming a victim of political ping-pong, the CPI(M) on Monday attempted to wash its hands off the controversy even as the Congress added to their woes saying that the West Bengal government had objected to extension of her visa and the BJP sought to gain political mileage out of their discomfort.
Facing continuous embarrassment, the CPI(M) on Monday tried to throw the Taslima ball into the Centre’s court contending that it was for the Centre to decide where Taslima Nasreen should stay. ??Whether she should remain in India or not and whether her visa should be extended or not is a decision to be taken by the Centre. It is beyond the scope of any state government. Let the Centre decide on this,?? CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury said. Yechury contended that the Buddhadeb government never forced her to go out of the state and also denied reports that the state government was not keen for the return of Nasreen. ??Don?t try to bring the West Bengal government or the CPI(M) into the issue. She has stayed in Kolkata for the last three years and protection was given by the state government,?? he said.
Meanwhile, Taslima told news channel in an interview on Monday that she had not decided on her own to leave Kolkata but chose to remain silent about her controversial departure. ??Why should I take a decision on my own? ?? she said. ??I want to return to Kolkata. ??
However, the Congress claimed that the Centre was completely in the dark on Nasreen being moved from one state to another?from Kolkata to Jaipur and then to Delhi. Training guns on BJP, AICC spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said BJP had no right to give lectures even as he steered clear of questions on whether the Congress or the Centre subscribed to views expressed by Nasreen.
Trying to gain political mileage, the BJP, on the other hand, mounted pressure on the Central government once again to allow Nasreen to ??stay wherever she wants?? and described as ?painful? Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s silence on the issue. ??It is a shame for the nation that Taslima is made to run for her life??, the party?s Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha VK Malhotra said here.
