Spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur lashed out at the Bangladesh government, saying that if it cannot protect Sanatan Dharma and its followers, it should give them a Hindu Rashtra in Bangladesh.
“I pray to the almighty to bless us so that we can get a Sanatan Board formed for the protection of Sanatan Dharma. Sanatanis across the world are opposing the atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh. If the government of Bangladesh cannot protect Sanatan Dharma and its followers, they should give them a Hindu Rashtra in Bangladesh,” Thakur told reporters here.
#WATCH | Varanasi, UP: Spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur says, "… I pray to the almighty to bless us so that we can get a Sanatan Board formed for the protection of Sanatan Dharm… Sanatanis across the world are opposing the atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh. If the… pic.twitter.com/9sIe4MCHCh
— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2024
Meanwhile, ISKCON Bhubaneswar Vice President Tukaram Das on December 1 also expressed his concerns over the safety of minorities in Bangladesh.
“Today, we organised a prayer meeting. ISKCON governing body Commission has instructed our centres all over the world to have prayer meetings… We will recite prayers for the peace and prosperity of the world. We are deeply concerned about the situation of our devotees and other minorities in Bangladesh,” Tukaram Das told media.
“We request the world governments to come up and discuss the matter with the Bangladeshi government so that things can be settled peacefully… ISKCON has centres in all the districts… We have more than 100 centres in Odisha and each centre is organising this kind of prayer session today. We deeply believe that everybody should coexist peacefully and happily,” he added.
#WATCH | Bhubaneswar, Odisha: On prayers organised amid the attack on Bangladeshi Hindus & arrest of two ISKCON saints, ISKCON Bhubaneswar Vice President Tukaram Das says, "Today, we organized a prayer meeting. ISKCON governing body Commission has instructed our centres all over… pic.twitter.com/jd5fjMIlUK
— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2024
ISKCON Kolkata alleged that Bangladesh authorities have arrested two monks, Adipurush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das Brahmachari, and the secretary of Chinmoy Krishna Das.
On December 1, ISKCON devotees also gathered at Hare Krishna Temple in Bhadaj, Gujarat to express solidarity with the Hindus in Bangladesh.
“Against the incidents happening in Bangladesh against Hindus and ISKCON devotees, we all have gathered here today at Hare Krishna temple Bhadaj to express our solidarity with them. We request the Bangladesh government to give all Sanatan devotees a chance to practice their religion,” Shyam Charan Das of Hare Krishna Temple told media.
“ISKCON has always expressed peace, compassion and love through its teachings and the whole world has seen it… This entire incident is condemnable and we are all peacefully doing Harinam Sankirtan here at Hare Krishna temple Bhadaj, Ahmedabad and are appealing that the central government should pay attention to this and all Hindu brothers and minorities in Bangladesh should be protected,” he added.
#WATCH | Ahmedabad, Gujarat: On prayers organised amid the attack on Bangladeshi Hindus & arrest of two ISKCON saints, Shyam Charan Das of Hare Krishna Temple Bhadaj, says, "Against the incidents happening in Bangladesh against Hindus and ISKCON devotees, we all have gathered… pic.twitter.com/n0KwtjHMQx
— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2024
Vice President of ISKCON Kolkata Radha Raman said that the monks were arrested by the police while on their way to home after meeting Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested on the charges of sedition on November 25.
Radha Raman said, “On November 29, when Adipurush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das Brahmachari were returning after meeting Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu, they were arrested by the police. We are also getting information that the secretary of Chinmoy Krishna Das has also been arrested,” Radha Raman said in a self-made video.
#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: On the arrest of another priest in Bangladesh, Vice President of ISKCON Kolkata, Radha Raman says, "On November 29, when Adipurush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das Brahmachari were returning after meeting Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu, they were arrested by the… pic.twitter.com/xQrvq1ZZv2
— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2024
On November 29, India expressed concern over the rise of “extremist rhetoric, increasing incidents of violence and provocation” in Bangladesh.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India has consistently and strongly raised the issue of targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities with the Bangladesh government.
(with inputs from ANI)
