New Delhi: Reacting strongly to punitive action taken by Bangladeshi authorities against a Hindu seer there, India on Tuesday said it had “noted with deep concern the arrest and denial of bail to Chinmoy Krishna Das, who is also the spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote”.
New Delhi asked Dhaka “to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all minorities, including their right of freedom of peaceful assembly and expression”. In a statement, New Delhi noted that “this incident follows the multiple attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh”.
It added that “there are several documented cases of arson and looting of minorities’ homes and business establishments, as well as theft and vandalism and desecration of deities and temples”.
The MEA further stated, “It is unfortunate that while the perpetrators of these incidents remain at large, charges should be pressed against a religious leader presenting legitimate demands through peaceful gatherings. We also note with concern the attacks on minorities protesting peacefully against the arrest of Shri Das.”
According to media reports, the Hindu seer who was also associated with the Hindu religious organization ISKCON and was actively campaigning for the rights of minorities including Hindus in Bangladesh was accused by authorities there of sedition and disrespect to the Bangladesh national flag by hoisting a saffron flag.
It may be noted that New Delhi has been making repeated appeals to the interim Government in Bangladesh led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus to protect the Hindu community there but to no avail as the authorities in the neighbouring nation have chosen to turn a blind eye. Worse, the interim Government there has made no secret of its ideological inclinations towards the anti-India Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The interim Government in Dhaka has also been seen to be openly encouraging religious fundamentalists of the Jamaat-e-Islami and other organisations there who had been on a tight leash during the rule of erstwhile prime minister Sheikh Hasina who was deposed in August this year.
India had earlier this month urged the interim government in Bangladesh to protect the Hindu community there after attacks on the community in Chittagong. Terming those attacks as unacceptable, New Delhi had said extremist elements in Bangladesh were behind the attacks on Hindus there whose properties were looted. It may be recalled that following the ouster of Awami League supremo Sheikh Hasina as Bangladesh prime minister nearly four months ago, Hindus in that country along with their properties and Temples have been the target of attacks from extremists and vandals. In fact, during the riots against Hindus that first started in August after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, an ISKCON Temple too had been attacked and vandalised by extremists there.
Expressing deep concern last month over the theft of the crown gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the famous Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple at Satkhira during his visit to Bangladesh in 2021, India had then asked the interim Government there to "investigate the theft, recover the crown and take action against the perpetrators".
