The government has denied news reports that it declined citizenship to Bangladesh writer Taslima Nasreen [Images].

This was disclosed by a senior official of the Union Home Ministry to rediff.com at Vigyan Bhavan on Tuesday afternoon.

"We have seen news reports saying we have decided against giving citizenship to Taslima Nasreen. We have received her request for citizenship but no final decision has been taken in this regard," said a close aide of the Home Minister Shivraj Patil.

• Govt looking into Taslima Nasreen's request

Nasreen, however, was granted six months multiple visa by the government that will allow her to stay in Kolkata till September 2005.

Nasreen had to flee Bangladesh after her book Lajja was published in 1994.

She personally handed over her letter of appeal to Patil when she was in New Delhi in February.

Patil, who addressed a press conference in New Delhi after the tenth meeting of the Standing Committee of the Inter State Council, chose to remain silent on being asked when the government would take a final decision on the issue.

According to media watchers, the government has been keeping Nasreen's request pending to put pressure on the Bangladesh government to hand over United Liberation Front of Asom general secretary Anup Chetia.

Bangladesh denies that it has Chetia in their custody.