Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on her part, has sought the intervention of the United Nations (UN) in the ongoing crisis in neighbouring Bangladesh. She also floated a proposal for the Union government to consider peacekeeping forces in Bangladesh following the UN intervention.

“These are my proposals. Let the Prime Minister give a statement on the matter and seek UN intervention,” the Chief Minister said after mentioning these two proposals on the floor of the state Assembly. She also explained the reasons for the proposals. “I do not want to speak about illegal infiltrations. This is entirely a matter of the Union government and we always accept the central decisions in the matter. But, the Union government has been silent on the Bangladesh issue for the last ten days. The ruling party (in India) here is demanding the sealing of borders and stopping the supply of food. We can do that if the Union government wants us to do that,” the Chief Minister said.

Through her statement in the House, the Chief Minister reiterated her earlier stand on this issue when she said that her government and party would support whatever stand was taken by the Union government on Bangladesh. Her statements on the floor of the House came a day after a senior official of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) claimed that the international peace bodies, including the UN, were indifferent to the attacks and atrocities on minority Hindus in Bangladesh, especially the ISKCON monks.

The Chief Minister also said if the Union government allows it she will have no problem giving shelter to people coming from Bangladesh. She also criticized the incident of insulting the Indian Tricolour in Bangladesh. She also said that if the Centre feels it is necessary an Indian representative can be sent to Bangladesh for discussions.

Raghav Chadha

AAP MP Raghav Chadha raised a crucial issue in the Rajya Sabha in late November, calling for the suspension of the House’s proceedings to discuss the ongoing atrocities against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh and the recent arrest of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) priest Chinmoy Krishna Das.

“In Rajya Sabha, I gave a notice for adjournment of proceedings and requested that the House discuss the atrocities against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh and the illegal arrest of ISKCON’s Chinmoy Krishna Das,” said AAP’s Raghav Chadha. He urged the government to provide clarity on the steps being taken to safeguard the Hindu community in Bangladesh, especially in light of recent events following the coup.

Chadha also called for a united resolution from the House condemning the illegal detention of Chinmoy Krishna Das. Earlier, Senior AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Saurabh Bharadwaj also met with Vrajendra Nandan Das, ISKCON’s Communications Director, in Delhi to express solidarity. Sisodia voiced grave concerns over the developments in Bangladesh. “What is happening with ISKCON in Bangladesh is deeply worrying. ISKCON has always preached love and harmony, and such allegations against them cannot be accepted,” he stated. He urged the Indian government to take swift action in securing the release of Chinmoy Krishna Das and addressing the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh.