Kolkata, Dec 25: Former West Bengal Chief Minister and veteran CPI (M) leader Jyoti Basu on Tuesday said that Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen is 'welcome' to return back to Kolkata, whenever she wants.

Basu said that the Centre should arrange security for the author's stay in Kolkata.

This comes amidst reports that Taslima, who is presently kept in an undisclosed location in New Delhi, was informed by government officials that she would not be allowed to return to Kolkata for now.

However, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee later refuted this and he also denied reports that the controversial author was kept under house arrest and not allowed to talk to media.

After a protest led by some radical Muslim groups, demanding her ouster from Kolkata, turned violent in November this year, Taslima was moved out of the city and transferred to Jaipur. The Rajasthan Government also cited security problems regarding her stay in Jaipur and whisked away the author to Delhi. (ANI)