Centre is ready to provide security assistance to the West Bengal govt for the protection of Bangladeshi writer, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said.
BANGALORE: Centre is ready to provide security assistance to the West Bengal government for the protection of Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, who has expressed her desire to return to Kolkata, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Thursday.
Mukherjee said Taslima is currently being provided security by the Union Government as she was currently put up in New Delhi where the powers of law and order vests with the Centre.
"So far as States are concerned, it's the primary responsibility of States to provide security," he told on the sidelines of a function here.
"But if state government wants any assistance from the Centre in respect of that, we will be too glad to provide that," he said.
Mukherjee was responding to questions from the media about the remarks made by veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu stating that Taslima can return to Kolkata if she chooses to, but the Centre has to ensure her security.
Mukherjee said the recent joint military exercise with China was to demonstrate that New Delhi and Beijing are "working together". "And it's tactics", he remarked, without elaborating.
It's a policy of the Government of India to interact and undertake peace time joint exercises with various countries, Mukherjee said, noting that New Delhi had joint military exercises with the US, the UK, France, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and also China.
"This is part of our overall security strategy", the Minister said.
On the status of Indo-US nuclear deal, Mukherjee said discussions are on with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on finalising India-specific safeguards arrangement. Once the text of this arrangement is finalised, it would be discussed with Left leaders, he added.
Mukherjee earlier laid the foundation stone at a college here and also addressed the annual conference of "Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sammelan" here.
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