Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari threatened Bangladesh with military action if the neighbouring country failed to take steps to control the communal violence faced by Hindus.
Hindu organisations across India held several rallies and protests against the atrocities faced by the Hindu minorities in Bangladesh on Tuesday on the occasion of International Human Rights Day.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari threatened Bangladesh with military action if the neighbouring country failed to take steps to control the communal violence faced by Hindus.
Speaking at an event on Tuesday, Adhikari said ,“If we stop electricity supply, they will plunge into darkness. We have 40 fighter jets stationed at Hasimara and sending two will suffice. Our Prime Minister resolved the Ayodhya dispute and abrogated Article 370. Bangladesh should not test our patience. We sacrificed 17,000 soldiers to help them gain independence in 1971. If necessary, we will act again.”
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday also reiterated her request to the Central government to protect the Hindus in Bangladesh and safely bring back those who want return to India.
Hindu organisations across India held several rallies and protests against the atrocities faced by the Hindu minorities in Bangladesh on Tuesday on the occasion of International Human Rights Day.
Bangladesh on Tuesday acknowledged 88 incidents of communal violence against minorities, primarily Hindus, following the ouster of then-premier Sheikh Hasina in August.
Interim government head Muhammad Yunus’ press secretary Shafiqul Alam also said that 70 people have been arrested in those incidents.
Bangladesh's minority Hindus, who constitute about 8 per cent of the 170 million population, have faced attacks in 50-odd districts since the fall of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government on August 5, reported PTI.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said the Centre must give protection to minorities in violence-hit Bangladesh, and bring back those willing to return.
Banerjee also claimed that fake videos were being purposefully circulated, as certain sections were trying to foment communal tension.
"We want protection for minorities in Bangladesh. The Union government must act. It should also bring back those who want to return to India," she told reporters in West Bengal.
Bengal BJP Leader Suvendu Adhikari
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has warned that India knows how to "deal with Bangladesh" if it does not rectify its course, as allegations of atrocities against Hindus in the neighbouring country ignited protests on this side of the border.
Bangladesh relies on India and not the other way around, Adhikari asserted, emphasising India’s leverage in the region.
Addressing a rally at Basirhat’s Hajratala more near Indo-Bangla border, Adhikari who is the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, demanded immediate cessation of violence against minorities and called for raising the issue at international forums.
“If we stop electricity supply, they will plunge into darkness. We have 40 fighter jets stationed at Hasimara and sending two will suffice. Our Prime Minister resolved the Ayodhya dispute and abrogated Article 370. Bangladesh should not test our patience. We sacrificed 17,000 soldiers to help them gain independence in 1971. If necessary, we will act again,” he said.
The BJP leader warned the Bangladesh government, led by chief adviser to the interim government Muhammad Yunus, of escalating economic pressure.
He threatened to impose an "indefinite export embargo" on the neighbouring country if it did not take immediate steps to curb attacks on the Hindu minority.
"Trade restrictions with Bangladesh will be tightened in phases, crippling the country’s dependence on essential commodities from India," Adhikari declared.
"The 24-hour suspension of trade was just a trailer of what’s going to happen next. If the attacks on Hindus and their religious institutions do not stop by next week, we will impose a five-day trade embargo. After the beginning of next year, we will stop trade for an indefinite period. We will see how the people there live without our potatoes and onions,” he added.
Maharashtra Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane
Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane on Tuesday claimed India will save Hindus in Bangladesh, where they are facing attacks, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi can defeat the neighbouring nation in "48 hours".
Speaking at a rally organised in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra to protest against atrocities on minority Hindus in Bangladesh, Rane said India is being surrounded by all sides everyday.
"We will save Hindus in Bangladesh. There is (PM) Narendra Modi for that. But it is our responsibility to save our country. Do not let your guard down. Modi ji will not take more than two days to defeat Bangladesh. We will defeat Bangladesh in 48 hours," the Shiv Sena legislator told the gathering in his home district.
Shiv Sena and BJP are apart of Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra.
The members of different Hindu groups and civil society organizations protested across India against the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh on December 10 on the occasion of International Human Rights Day.
In Delhi, hundreds of people from groups like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) marched in protest at Chanakyapuri.
A similar rally was held in Lucknow to condemn the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.
In Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, protesters marched to the deputy commissioner's office to show support for Hindus in Bangladesh.
In Jammu, many protesters took to the streets, asking the government and the United Nations to get involved.
The Sakal Hindu Samaj also organized an event in Maharashtra's Thane to highlight atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh and express solidarity with them.
Similar protests, which coincided with world Human Rights Day, were also staged in Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Ranchi, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata, among other places.
Several of these organisations also submitted memorandums addressed to President of India, Bangladesh High Commissioner and even United Nations Secretary General in order to seek their attention in the ongoing crisis of the Hindu community in Bangladesh.
Interim government head Muhammad Yunus’ press secretary Shafiqul Alam revealed that 77 people have been arrested over the months after mentioning that as per official data 88 incidents of communal violence against minorities, primarily Hindus took place in Bangladesh.
"The number of cases and arrests is likely to increase as new incidents of violence have also been reported in (northeastern Sunamganj, (central) Gazipur, and other areas," he said.
He added that there might be cases where some victims were members of the previous ruling party.
The government has so far insisted that other than a few incidents, Hindus were not attacked because of their faiths.
"Some attacks targeted individuals who were former members of the ruling party or they were the result of personal disputes. Nevertheless, since violence occurred, the police are taking appropriate action," he said.