India on Friday called upon the Bangladesh Interim Government to live up to its responsibility of protecting Hindus and other minorities, and said the surge in extremist rhetoric, and increasing incidents of violence against them cannot be dismissed as media exaggeration.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, answering questions on the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Das in Bangladesh for alleged sedition, said:
“India has consistently and strongly raised with the Bangladesh government the threats and targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities. Our position on the matter is clear – the interim government must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities.
“We are concerned at the surge of extremist rhetoric, increasing incidents of violence and provocation. These developments cannot be dismissed only as media exaggeration.”
On the rising demand from several quarters in Bangladesh, especially the Islamist Jamaat, for banning ISKCON, the spokesperson said that The International Society for Krishna Consciousness or “ISKCON is a globally well-regarded organization with a strong record of social service. We once
again call upon Bangladesh to take all steps for the protection of minorities.”
On the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, he said:
“As far as cases against individuals are concerned, we have noted that legal processes are underway. We expect that these processes will deal with the case in a just, fair and transparent manner, ensuring full respect for the legal rights of all concerned.”
The remarks come even as the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has ordered the freezing of bank accounts belonging to 17 individuals associated with the ISKCON Bangladesh, including its former leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, for 30 days.
The directive, issued on Thursday, was sent to various banks and financial institutions in the country. It suspends all transactions from the accounts for one month.
This action follows the arrest of Chinmoy, spokesperson for the Sanatan Jagaran Jote.
On October 25, following a rally at Laldighi ground in Chittagong, he and 19 others were accused of sedition for allegedly disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag by hoisting a saffron flag above it, leading to a case filed at Kotwali police station on October 30.
The case was filed by local BNP leader Firoz Khan, who was later expelled from the party over the matter.
Chinmoy was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Monday.
The following day, he was presented before a Chittagong court, where his bail plea was rejected, and he was sent to jail.
Supporters of Chinmoy protested his arrest, blocking the prison van for about two and a half hours.
Police eventually dispersed the crowd using sound grenades and escorted Chinmoy to jail.
During the chaos, lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was severely injured near the Rangam Convention Hall.
He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
These developments have triggered calls to ban ISKCON in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, ISKCON Bangladesh on Thursday distanced itself from Chinmoy and the protests and violence in Chattogram calling for his release.
