Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, Priyanka Chaturvedi, on Monday drew the attention of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar to the plight of Hindu minorities in strife-torn Bangladesh and sought plans to rescue them if needed.
In separate letters to PM Modi and EAM Jaishankar, Chaturvedi has urged them to “engage bilaterally with Muhammad Yunus, the head of the Bangladesh caretaker government,” to hold his administration accountable for the targeted violence against the minority Hindus there.
“Additionally, plans for potential rescue and support operations for Hindus in Bangladesh should be considered to safeguard their lives and dignity,” exhorted the SS(UBT) Rajya Sabha MP in her letter.
Justifying her contentions, Priyanka Chaturvedi said that since August, India has witnessed the widespread attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, targeting their places of worship, homes and business establishments.
“Despite the Indian government raising the issue, the situation has deteriorated alarmingly. The crisis has intensified with the arrest of Vaishnavite leader and ISKCON member Chinmoy Krishna Das who has been denied bail by the Bangladeshi authorities followed by attacks on three Hindu temples,” Priyanka Chaturvedi pointed out.
Moreover, attempts to ban the ISKCON in Bangladesh, along with the arrest of at least two more Brahmacharis, have further escalated tensions, and these developments have fostered a climate of fear and panic among the Hindu minority in that country, she said.
Further exacerbating the matter, the Bangladeshi authorities have reportedly frozen the bank accounts linked to ISKCON, and citing security concerns, barred more than 63 Brahmacharis from entering India, though they hold valid visas and travel documents, added Priyanka Chaturvedi.
“Such actions are not only discriminatory, but also appear to be deliberate attempts to restrict the Hindu religious community and undermine their rights,” said Priyanka Chaturvedi, expressing concern.
She called upon the PM and EAM to treat the matter with the utmost seriousness and solicited their prompt response and action on it, even as the predicament of Hindus and other minorities like Christians and Buddhists in Bangladesh continues to perturb the Indian polity plus the masses for the past five months.
(IANS)
