Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, slammed Bangladesh on April 18 for comments on recent incidents in West Bengal. Jaiswal said that the rhetoric was a disingenuous attempt at drawing parallels between Bangladesh and India, where the perpetrators of criminal acts roam free.
“We reject the remarks made by the Bangladesh side with regard to the incidents in West Bengal. This is a barely disguised and disingenuous attempt to draw a parallel with India’s concerns over the ongoing persecution of minorities in Bangladesh, where the criminal perpetrators of such acts continue to roam free,” Jaiswal said.
Our response to media queries regarding comments made by Bangladesh officials on the developments in West Bengal:
🔗 https://t.co/P6DuqlRndJ pic.twitter.com/HmIai5U0Vp
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 18, 2025
“Instead of making unwarranted comments and indulging in virtue signalling, Bangladesh would do better to focus on protecting the rights of its own minorities,” MEA stated in a post on X.
Earlier, Bangladesh’s interim government vehemently denied any involvement in the communal violence that recently erupted in Murshidabad, Bangladesh-based Daily Observer stated on Thursday.
In a statement on Thursday, Shafiqul Alam, the press secretary to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, expressed condemnation over the attacks on Muslims, which resulted in significant loss of life and property, urging the Indian government and West Bengal authorities to take necessary steps to ensure the safety and protection of the minority Muslim population.
The controversy erupted after reports surfaced suggesting that an initial investigation into the Murshidabad violence by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had pointed to the involvement of alleged Bangladeshi miscreants.
Meanwhile, a team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) arrived in West Bengal’s Malda on Friday. The team is scheduled to visit the violence-hit areas of Murshidabad and Malda following protests over the Waqf Amendment Act in the state earlier in the month.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on April 2 and 3, respectively. It was passed in both Houses and later received the President’s assent, after which it became a law. On April 5, President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
While the Opposition has been protesting against the Waqf Act, the BJP has launched a ‘Waqf Reforms Awareness Campaign’, which will run from April 20 to May 5. The initiative will tell the benefits of the Waqf Act to the Muslim community.
(With inputs from ANI)
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