India outrightly slammed Bangladesh on Friday for their comments on West Bengal violence. Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, had called out the Indian government and the West Bengal state government on Thursday to take every necessary step to ensure the safety and protection of the minority Muslim community. He had strongly criticised the recent violence that led to the loss of lives and damage to property.
Rejecting the remarks, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday said that Dhaka, instead of “virtue signalling” should focus on protecting the rights of their own minorities.
He added that it was Bangladesh’s “disguised and disingenuous attempt” to overshadow the concerns raised by India over the ongoing persecution of minorities in Bangladesh.
In the past few days, some areas of West Bengal, including Murshidabad, have seen violent clashes between communities after protests by Muslims against the Waqf Amendment Act.
Ties between India and Bangladesh have worsened since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka last August during large anti-government protests. The situation got worse when the temporary government led by Muhammad Yunus could not stop attacks on minority groups, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh.
(With PTI Inputs)
