Focus on Protecting Your Minorities: India Raps Bangladesh Over Bengal Violence Remarks

New Delhi: India on Friday strongly criticised Bangladesh over its recent remarks on West Bengal, urging Dhaka to prioritise safeguarding its minority communities.

In a statement released on April 18, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We reject the remarks made by the Bangladesh side with regard to the incidents in West Bengal. This is a barely disguised and disingenuous attempt to draw a parallel with India's concerns over the ongoing persecution of minorities in Bangladesh, where the criminal perpetrators of such acts continue to roam free."

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He pointed out that rather than making baseless statements and trying to appear morally superior, he suggested that Bangladesh should concentrate on ensuring the safety and rights of its own minority populations.

What Did Bangladesh Say?

MEA's response comes days after Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, urged New Delhi to "fully protect" its Muslim minority population.

In a statement to local media, Alam also denied any connection between Bangladesh and the recent communal unrest in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district. "We strongly refute any attempts to implicate Bangladesh in the communal violence in Murshidabad," he said.

Bangladesh's Hand in Murshidabad Violence?

The violence which erupted on April 11 during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act led to the deaths of three people and left several injured. The unrest also caused widespread property damage and displaced many families, some of whom sought shelter in Jharkhand ’s Pakur district, while others were moved to relief camps in Malda.

As per a report by the ANI, preliminary investigations suggested possible involvement of Bangladeshi elements in the Murshidabad violence.  The investigation indicated that these miscreants might have initially received support from local political figures but later became unmanageable.

The MHA is currently closely monitoring developments in Murshidabad and other sensitive districts of West Bengal. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan has spoken with the state’s chief secretary and director general of police (DGP), assuring the Centre’s full support.