India slams Bangladesh for Murshidabad violence remark

“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,” ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.

“Instead of making unwarranted comments and indulging in virtue signaling, Bangladesh would do better to focus on protecting the rights of its own minorities,” Jaiswal added.

In a statement on Thursday, Shafiqul Alam, the press secretary to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, expressed condemnation over the attacks on Muslims, which resulted in significant loss of life and property, urging the Indian government and West Bengal authorities to take necessary steps to ensure the safety and protection of the minority Muslim population.

According to an ANI report, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was apprised of an initial probe into West Bengal’s Murshidabad violence, which indicated the involvement of alleged Bangladeshi miscreants.

The preliminary findings also suggested that the miscreants may have initially received assistance from local leaders but eventually became uncontrollable. Meanwhile, the MHA was closely monitoring activities in Murshidabad and other sensitive districts in West Bengal.

Union home secretary Govind Mohan spoke with the state’s chief secretary and director general of police (DGP, assuring all possible help. He advised the state administration to keep a close watch on other sensitive districts and to put in place adequate steps to ensure normalcy as soon as possible.

The violence broke out last week in Murshidabad district during a protest over the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The protests swept across Malda, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts, leading to arson, stone-pelting and road blockades.