Friday, February 18 2005 10:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Facing death threat from radical Islamic groups in Bangladesh, exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen yesterday (Jan 17, 2005) sought Indian citizenship saying that her country of origin has "slammed the doors" on her.

Taslima, who was at New Delhi yesterday morning, said that she had faxed a letter to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, requesting she be given Indian citizenship or residential permit whichever is possible.

Asked what prompted her to seek Indian citizenship after being in exile in Europe for a decade, the medico-turned-author said from Kolkata, "It is my love for Bengali. How can I stay away from Bengali milieu and West Bengal? Living in West Bengal would help me in my writings." "My love for the language and the people of West Bengal is all what prompted me to apply for Indian citizenship," she said.

"After all, my own country has slammed the doors for me. I could not return there despite several attempts in the past. So, I had to be in West Bengal," Taslima said.

Replying to a question, Taslima said she did not meet Patil. She said she has come to India from Sweden where she went back after a year in Harvard.

The writer was issued a death threat by fundamentalist outfits in Bangladesh in 1994 for her alleged blasphemous writings and had faced court case on the charge of hurting religious sentiments.