Prime Minister Narendra Modi met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday afternoon to discuss the escalating tensions in Bangladesh following the arrest of Iskcon priest Chinmoy Krishna Das and the increasing attacks on religious minorities, including Hindus in the neighbouring country.
Sources to CNN News18 said that Jaishankar is expected to make a statement in both houses of Parliament on Friday (November 29) if the proceedings are not disrupted by the Opposition.
Protests intensified in Bangladesh again this week after police arrested Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu on November 25 from Dhaka airport.
Das faces sedition charges for allegedly disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag during a rally in October. On Tuesday, a day after his arrest, he was produced before a court in Chittagong which denied his bail.
The denial of bail fuelled more protests by the Hindu community in Bangladesh, which constitutes only about 8 per cent of the 170 million population, complaining of rising atrocities against the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
Earlier, India condemned Das’s arrest and expressed concern over attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs, also urged that those responsible for the violence against minorities be brought to justice.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials will brief the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs on the situation in Bangladesh on December 11, panel’s chairperson Shashi Tharoor said on Thursday.
“It is not only the foreign ministry that is keeping an eye on the situation, all concerned Indians are worried about some of the reports coming in from Bangladesh. So, we will follow it very closely,” Tharoor, who was a former of state for external affairs told reporters outside Parliament.
Content retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/india/modi-meets-jaishankar-amid-indias-concerns-over-bangladesh-situation-after-iskcon-priests-arrest-13839714.html.
