Religious minorities better in Indian than in Pakistan, Bangladesh: Taslima Nasreen

INDORE: Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen on Sunday called the condition of religious minorities much better in India than in other Muslim-majority nations like Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The 55-year-old writer alleged that atrocities are committed against Hindus and Buddhists in Bangladesh.

"Though I have never been to Pakistan, but have read that members of religious minorities there are being converted and persecuted," she said in an interview.

"The condition of religious minorities is much better in India as compared to these two nations. The Constitution of India is same for all," she said.

Taslima, the writer of the much-acclaimed book 'Lajja', had fled Bangladesh in the early 1990s after right-wing Muslim outfits issued death threats to her.

"I am a citizen of Europe but India appears to be home to me. I am thankful to the Indian government to have given me permission to stay here. I want to work for the betterment of the Indian society," she said.

On her write-up in an online magazine over the killing of a Muslim labourer in Rajasthan, Taslima denied that she had equated the Hindu community with terror group ISIS after the incident.

She alleges that some people distorted a part of her article and fanning hatred against her on the social media. 

"It is totally wrong to say that I, in my article, equated the entire Hindu community with ISIS. I had mentioned one particular incident (about the posting of video on social media of the killing of a Muslim labourer). I am quite upset with these false allegations," she said.

Why did u write against me without checking the facts and let thousands of people abuse me for no fault of mine? U could read my tweets before saying whether I really compared Hindus with ISIS. I did not. U know why magazines put catchy headlines. https://t.co/D415hbJ9la — taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) December 17, 2017

Did u really read my article bfore saying I compared Hindus to ISIS? U know well I didn't say that.U r angry w/ me bcoz my reaction agnst Shambhulal's act, right? U think i don't hv right to express opinions abt India&Indians. I thought u r a journalist & u believe in free speech https://t.co/chtohxMlM7 — taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) December 17, 2017

Hailing Indian laws and their implementation, she noted that the accused in the Rajasthan killing incident was arrested and sent to jail.

A 48-year-old Muslim labourer, from West Bengal, was hacked and burnt to death in Rajasthan's Rajsamand earlier this month.

Nasreen, meanwhile, alleged that in Bangladesh, the people who committed excesses on minorities were roaming free.