Taslima meets Rajnath, assured of visa extension

NEW DELHI: Controversial writer Taslima Nasreen today met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and later she said he has assured her of one-year visa.

"The honourable Home Minister assured me that my long-term residential permit would be granted as soon as possible. I am grateful to him for his gesture, I really appreciate it", Taslima told TV channels.

The 51-year-old writer was earlier given permission to stay in India for two more months beginning from August 1.

During the 20-minute meeting, Taslima requested the Home Minister that she be allowed to stay in India for a longer period, official sources said.

After her meeting with Rajnath Singh, she tweeted "Gave him my book 'Wo Andhere Din' (Those Dark Days). He said,'Aapka Andhere Din Khatam Ho Jayega' (Your dark days will end)".

The controversial writer from Bangladesh has been living in self exile since 1994 in the wake of death threats by Muslim fundamentalist outfits.

Taslima is now a citizen of Sweden. She has been continuously getting Indian visa since 2004.

She has lived in the US, Europe and India in the last two decades. However, on many occasions she had expressed her wish to live in India permanently, especially in Kolkata.

The writer had to leave Kolkata in 2007 following violent street protests by a section of Muslims against her works.