Leaders of the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal took a dig at Bangladesh on Friday following reports of atrocities against religious minorities in the neighbouring country.
Tension between India and Bangladesh escalated following the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Dasby the Dhaka Metropolitan Police in a sedition case last month, which led to socio-political turmoil on both sides of the border.
BJP leader Dilip Ghosh told reporters on Friday that Bangladeshi forces do not match up to India and that political leaders in Bangladesh should think more deeply about the ongoing turmoil.
“The extremism should stop. Bangladeshi leaders should think harder and understand the situation better. India has more force,” Mr. Ghosh said.
He said that Indian forces had captured Pakistani troops in big numbers in the preceding wars, which meant, he said, Bangladesh would not match up to the military strength of this nation.
“There is no fight between a lion and a dog,” Mr. Ghosh said. “Does Bangladesh have any military strength? They survive on what they get from India anyway.”
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim said that Bangladesh was formed with India’s assistance.
“If India was not there, Bangladesh would not have been formed in the first place. If the people and the Government of India did not support them, Pakistani forces would have destroyed them,” Mr. Hakim said. “It is unfortunate that Bangladesh does not have gratitude towards India.”
Two elderly women from Bangladesh held
Meanwhile, two elderly women from Bangladesh were apprehended by the Border Security Force (BSF) at Kaliaganj in the Uttar Dinajpur district for allegedly trying to trespass into India. They were handed over to the local police and have been remanded in judicial custody by a local court for 14 days.
One of the women told local media that she came to India seeking refuge due to the ongoing turmoil in Bangladesh and lack of safety for Hindus there.
On Tuesday night, the BSF had apprehended a 15-year-old girl for allegedly crossing the border illegally at Uttar Dinajpur’s Chopra area. On the same day, a 21-year-old man was apprehended for trying to swim his way to India and entering Raiganj through the Karatoya river.
The girl was handed over to the Islampur police and was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board in Raiganj. The young man, on the other hand, was transferred to the custody of the Rajganj police and was remanded in judicial custody for a fortnight by a Jalpaiguri court.
Published – December 13, 2024 11:02 pm IST
