Hyderabad, Aug 9: Noted Bangladeshi novelist Taslima Nasreen was roughed up by activists of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) at a book release function in Hyderabad on Thursday.

A group of 20 MIM workers, led by MLAs Afsar Khan, Ahmed Pasha and Mozum Khan, stormed the Press Club premises and raised slogans against the author. Nasreen was in Hyderabad to release the Telugu translation of her latest novel "Shodh".

As the function was about to conclude, the MIM activists suddenly barged into the conference hall, attacked the press photographers, damaged the furniture and glass panes and some of them reached the dais and roughed up the novelist.

The police later took the legislators and their supporters into custody.

Nasreen, whose works including the banned novel "Lajja" had raised the hackles of Muslim organisations, was safely escorted to the airport with the help of journalists and the organisers of the function.

Several feminist writers and representatives of rationalist organisations were present.