Mamata Banerjee condemns arrest of ISKCON priest in Bangladesh
In response to tensions caused by the arrest of an International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) priest in Bangladesh, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that her administration supports the Central government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
She said that the government of West Bengal is fully in agreement with the Center on the matter. She also expressed worry about religious minorities’ safety in the nearby nation.
Mamata Banerjee said that she spoke with ISKCON in Bengal, but she has no authority over this issue.
“We do not want any of religion to be harmed,” Mamata Banerjee said in response to the topic at the legislative assembly. I’ve spoken with ISKCON here, but the central government need to handle this as it concerns a different nation. On this matter, we support them.
Shashi Tharoor, a Congress MP, too voiced alarm over the present state of affairs with India’s neighbor.
“It seems very grave and troubling,” Tharoor told ANI. Since this neighbor lives next door, everyone in India is worried about their well-being. The foreign ministry is not the only entity monitoring the situation; all concerned Indian people are also alarmed by the reports that are being received.
Sudip Bandyopadhyay, a member of the Trinamool Congress, told the Indian government that the TMC supports it in the Bangladesh issue.
“TMC does not comment on matters pertaining to the Ministry of External Affairs or any other international topic. We will back the Indian government’s position,” he said.
Since ISKCON Bangladesh priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari was arrested on sedition charges, which sparked riots and instability in Bangladesh, the relationship between the government of Bangladesh and ISKCON has become worse.
According to the local media, a lawyer submitted a petition after the priest’s arrest requesting for ISKCON to be banned in Bangladesh, describing it as a “radical organization” that was involved in actions intended to incite communal conflict. In Bangladesh, the petition led to yet another political dispute.
Additionally, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) voiced “deep concern” and urged the government of Bangladesh to protect Hindus.
“We have noted with deep concern the arrest and denial of bail to Shri Chinmoy Krishna Das, who is also the spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote,” the statement released by the MEA on Tuesday stated.
“This event comes after extremist extremists in Bangladesh attacked Hindus and other minorities on many occasions. The MEA statement further noted that there are several recorded instances of robbery, vandalism, and destruction of temples and deities, as well as burning and looting of minority houses and businesses.
