Q: What is the status of your resident visa? Some media reports say you have been granted resident visa.
Taslima: The fact is that I'm yet to be granted resident visa. I don't know why some media groups flashed the false report about govt granting permanent visa to me without even checking with me. After meeting Rajnath Singh, I have not heard anything from the Home Ministry.
Q: You had high hopes from Narendra Modi government on your visa issue. Are you feeling let down by this government after they gave you only 2 months tourist visa?
Taslima: I'm still hopeful. If something worse happens then I will be very sad. In fact, my expectation from Narendra Modi was that his government would offer me citizenship, a permanent residence. I was so shocked with the two months' permit. I could have got a heart attack because of this decision. I had applied for my residence permit extension on June 26 and I was expecting it to be granted within 2-3 days. But one month passed off and nothing happened. I kept pleading, please extend my visa otherwise I will not be able to return to India as I had to leave for Oxford. I did not face such a thing during the previous government.
Even during election time, Narendra Modi had said why Mamata Banerjee was not allowing Taslima to stay in Kolkata. But his government's decision to grant me only 2 months' permit could have resulted in a heart attack for me.
Q: Have you spoken to Narendra Modi for helping you in getting the permission for staying in Kolkata?
Taslima: Now I don't want to go to Kolkata because Mamata Banerjee does not want me there. The previous government told me that they had no problem with my stay in Kolkata but it was Mamata Banerjee who did not want that.
Q: But Mamata Banerjee can't decide on her own. Modi can talk to her.
Taslima: But I don't want to fight. The Left Front government threw me out and now Mamata Banerjee does not want me there.
