December 01, 2007	Saturday	Ziqa’ad 20, 1428

NEW DELHI, Nov 30: Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin on Friday withdrew controversial lines in her autobiographical book ‘Dwikhandita’, which had evoked strong protests from Indian Muslims.

“I am withdrawing controversial lines in ‘Dwikhandita’, written in 2002 with the memory of Bangladesh in the 1980s when military threw out secularism in the country.” “I wrote the book in support of the people who defended secular values. I had no intention to hurt anybody’s sentiment,” she was quoted by Zeenews as saying over the phone from an undisclosed location. “Now since some people in India claim that it hurt their sentiments, I am withdrawing some lines in the book.”

“I asked my publisher to bring out the next edition of the book deleting those controversial lines”, she said.

A spokesman for the publisher said that Taslima had requested them not to circulate copies of the book.

“We will withdraw 30 to 40 copies, already in circulation, from the market and in the next edition we will delete three controversial pages of the book,” she said.

In Delhi, communist leader Gurudas Dasgupta, who has been in touch with Ms Nasrin, said the author had informed him about the decision to withdraw the controversial lines.

“This is a very correct step she has taken. She believes this step will help bring in normalcy. I also think this would assuage the feelings of those who have been hurt,” Mr Dasgupta said.