Noted Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin, who is currently living in exile in the US, has backed writers who have returned their awards in protest against rising intolerance in India, however, the novelist slammed some of those who she said are guilty of selective outrage.

In an exclusive interview with Rajdeep Sardesai on News Today, Nasrin said Indian writers have every right to protest but questioned their double standards.

"They are protesting against intolerance. They are right in their own way. I think they should have the right to decide which way they want to go. But writers are also guilty of selective outrage. Some writers protested when I was threatened and thrown out of Bangladesh but many of them kept silent. Most secular writers do not oppose Muslim fanatics as strongly as they oppose Hindu fanatics," Nasrin said.

"It is true that many secular writers are anti-Hindu and pro-Muslim. I will not call them secular writers, they are actually pseudo-secular writers. They should be against religious fundamentalists," she added.

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Religious intolerance is growing in India

When asked about what she thinks about the incident in which a Muslim man was lynched near Delhi over rumours that he consumed beef, the writer who has been living in exile since 1994, said, "Religious tolerance is growing in India. I can not believe that I would be killed for eating beef or criticising Hinduism and superstitions. Religious fundamentalists do not believe in religious freedom plurality of thoughts. They believe in group loyalty."

"Some people, some extremists want to make India a 'Hindu Saudi'. It is not good, India should be a democratic, secular state. It is not good to encourage fundamentalists," Nasrin added.

Commenting on the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue of religious intolerance and murder of noted Kannada rationalist and writer MM Kalburgi, Nasrin pointed out that the secular establishment has not accepted Modi as the PM till now.

"Secular establishment has not accepted Narendra Modi as Prime Minister but Modiji didn't make any statement that disturbed communal harmony. I think secularists should give some time to him to show his performance. However, I also think that he should have offered condolence to Kalburgi's family and Mohammed Akhlaq's family."