ISF leader Nawsad Siddique condemns arrest of ISKCON pastor
Kolkata: West Bengal MLA and leader of the Indian Secular Front (ISF), Nawsad Siddique, denounced the recent arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a priest with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), as well as the recent petition to outlaw the group in Bangladesh.
“What is happening in Bangladesh is unacceptable to us. To put an end to this, we have already emailed the Bangladesh High Commissioner in Kolkata, and we plan to visit him as well,” Siddique told the media on Wednesday.
He said, “This is also not just about Bangladesh; the majority in every country of the world are dominant over the minorities,” reinforcing his position that every minority should be safeguarded worldwide. Every minority should be safeguarded, regardless of their caste, creed, or religion.
Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, also denounced the petition in Bangladesh that calls for an ISKCON ban earlier on Wednesday.
Such “conspiracies were being orchestrated” to destroy the Hindu community, according to the priest.
Their only goal is to inflict some kind of torment on the local Hindu population and their attire. In this case, our government ought to consider it. ISKCON has nice individuals with good ideas and seers. They are in charge of it.Such schemes are being developed there to break Hindus,” he told the media.
He further emphasized that the situation for Hindus in Bangladesh would worsen unless the Modi administration steps in.
According to the local media, a lawyer submitted a petition requesting for ISKCON to be banned in Bangladesh, describing it as a “radical organization” that engages in actions intended to incite communal conflict.
The petition follows demonstrations and instability in Bangladesh after the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a former priest of ISKCON Bangladesh, on sedition charges.
The former priest’s detention has drawn criticism from a number of Indian leaders, including ISKCON Bangladesh, which also released a statement condemning the priest’s incarceration and urging the government to encourage peaceful cooperation.
In response to the ensuing assaults and violence against Sanatanis in different parts of Bangladesh, ISKCON Bangladesh also released a list of requests to the government.
The recent arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, spokesman for the “Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot,” is something we strongly condemn and express our great worry over. We also condemn the ensuing assaults and violence against Sanatanis in Bangladesh’s different areas. We implore the administration to encourage the Sanatani people to live in harmony with one another,” the statement said.
