Forty eight hours after controversial writer Taslima Nasreen was shunted out of West Bengal, the state government said on Saturday night that she could return to the state if she wished and promised that she would be provided security.

"She is free to return here," Home Secretary P R Roy told reporters.

Asked about her security, Roy said, "We have security arrangement for her."

Roy declined to comment when asked about the press release by Rajasthan government claiming that West Bengal government refused to countenance the idea of sending the writer back to Kolkata.

Roy replied in the negative when asked whether the Rajasthan DGP had talked to him and said that he might have spoken to Kolkata Police Commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakraborty.

Taslima kept herself confined to the Rajasthan government guest house in New Delhi meeting senior central government officials.

The Rajasthan government, which has accorded the status of a state guest to Nasreen, is awaiting a direction from the Centre about the writer.