NBT has not banned any book: Chairman

National Book Trust Chairman Brij Kishore Sharma denied imposing censorship on any book at the 16th World Book Fair which began in the capital on Saturday but asked publishers to follow "rules and regulations". The statement assumes significance in the light of the expected presence of Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen, whose latest book has been banned in West Bengal.

National Book Trust Chairman Brij Kishore Sharma denied imposing censorship on any book at the 16th World Book Fair which began in the capital on Saturday but asked publishers to follow "rules and regulations".

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"There is no censorship on anyone. You can call anybody and any book at the fair, but it is the duty of the publishers to go by the rules and regulations", he said in an apparent reference to noted author Taslima Nasreen's book Dwikhandito (Split in Two), which has been banned in West Bengal.

"We are not imposing censorship but management is our prior concern. We have to ensure smooth conduct of the proceedings", Sharma said at the inauguration ceremony of the Fair here.

The NTB, which functions under the Union Human Resource Development Ministry, has made it mandatory for participating publishers and booksellers to seek its permission before holding programmes like book-release functions at their stalls. Media reports said permission was denied to Taslima's publishers.

Sharma said the decision was taken for the sake of "public convenience" since "unregulated book-release functions will result in crowds at stalls" and "management of the fair" was of top priority.

Taslima's book, which purportedly hurts the sentiments of the Muslim community, was banned by the Left Front government in West Bengal in November last year.