Kolkata, Aug. 2 -- CPIM senior leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya on Sunday said Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen was not "forcefully thrown out" of Kolkata in 2007, and that her exit was arranged for her safety amid threats from fundamentalist forces.

Speaking to ANI, Bhattacharya said, "People from different parts of the world have come and got really assimilated into Indian culture and the Indian people, but there is no place for any fundamentalism, during the Left Front regime, because of threats by the fundamentalist forces, who had the support of RSS and TMC, we made a very safe passage for Taslima to go out of the country and live peacefully. We made all arrangements to keep her life protected and give her the necessary security....