Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen was attacked at the Press Club in Hyderabad on Thursday while she was releasing the
Telugu translation of her Bengali novel Shodh (Revenge).
About 40 miscreants led by three MLAs of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) political party stormed into the venue and attacked the author. They picked up chairs, bouquets and used them as missiles to attack Taslima and others sitting on the dias. While Taslima got away unhurt, writer and social reformer Dr N. Inniah and author Nageswar Rao suffered injuries trying to protect her. Two photographers and a reporter, covering the event, were also hurt. The MIM activists alleged that Taslima’s writings were anti-Islamic, full of derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed.
The police arrested the three MLAs, Mohammed Muqtada Khan, Mohammed Moazzam Khan and Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri and 20 others in connection with the attack.
Later in the day, the author told PTI on phone from Hyderabad, “Certain groups, representing a miniscule section, may want to physically harm me under the delusion that they can muzzle my voice. But I will continue to write what I believe in.”