A controversial Muslim author has branded the City of Joy a “city of cowards,” after her book launch at the International Kolkata Book Fair was cancelled following threats from Islamic extremists.

The seventh part of Taslima Nasrin’s autobiography, Nirbasan, (Exile) was slated to be launched on February 1.

Following the cancellation the book was launched elsewhere by Nabarun Bhattacharya, son of feminist author and social activist Mahasweta Devi.

The decision to cancel the launch by the Publishers and Booksellers Guild was a violation of basic human rights, Bhattacharya said.

Responding to the criticism, the secretary of the guild said threats had been received from two extremist groups and the guild did not want to risk trouble at the fair, which began on January 25 and ends on Sunday.

The trouble stems from an earlier installment of Nasrin’s autobiography, Lajja (Shame), which was banned by Islamic fundamentalists in Bangladesh, claiming it hurt Muslim sentiments.

Nasrin, a Bangladeshi doctor-turned-feminist author, who lives in Delhi under state protection, was unimpressed with the decision and accused organizers and authorities of bowing to extremists.

“Kolkata, a city of progressive! A book release even without my presence not possible! All political parties, all organizations are afraid of fanatics! But how long?’ she tweeted yesterday.

She pointed to the sixth volume of her autobiography, Nei Kichu Nei (Nothing, there is nothing) and another book Narir Kono Desh Nei (Women have no country) which were both launched at the fair last year.

Father Sunil Francis Rozario the director of the Calcutta Archdiocesan Commission for Dialogue also criticized the cancellation of the launch.

“She has the right to freedom of expression and stopping the launch of her book was against democratic principles,” he said.

A writer and poet, Fr Rozario also called the cancellation an insult not only to Nasrin, but to all writers.

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