Anurag Thakur accused Congress of keeping silent on the safety of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh

INDC Network : India : During the Lok Sabha's Zero Hour on Friday, BJP MP Anurag Thakur sharply criticised Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party, and accused them of neglecting the safety of Hindus and other minority communities in Bangladesh. Thakur's remarks came in response to the Congress party's recent congratulatory tweet to the newly formed interim government of Bangladesh led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

Expressing his disappointment, Thakur said that the Congress, while congratulating, failed to address the important issue of the safety of minorities in Bangladesh. "Unfortunately, the Leader of Opposition and the Congress party did not raise the issue of safety of Hindus or minorities in Bangladesh in their tweets congratulating the interim Bangladeshi government," he said.

Thakur questioned the Congress party's apparent reluctance to speak on the plight of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, and compared this silence to their vocal condemnation of violence in other regions such as Gaza. "What is their reluctance to address the issue of Hindu minorities?" Thakur asked. "They speak on the violence in Gaza, but remain silent on atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh." The BJP MP highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's own response to the situation in Bangladesh. In his congratulatory message to Yunus, Modi emphasised the importance of ensuring the safety of all minority communities in the country. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the interim government of Bangladesh, while also stressing the need to inquire about the safety of minorities at such a sensitive time," Thakur underscored the point. Thakur's criticism comes amid escalating violence in Bangladesh following the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has since taken refuge in India. The country has witnessed widespread vandalism targeting Hindu temples, homes and businesses amid protests over the controversial job quota system. In his post on social media platform X, Prime Minister Modi extended his best wishes to Yunus and underlined the need for "safety and protection" for all minority communities in Bangladesh. Anurag Thakur criticised Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, saying that despite congratulating the interim government of Bangladesh, they did not raise the issue of safety of Hindus and other minorities. Thakur said, "It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition congratulated the interim government of Bangladesh, but did not mention the safety of Hindus and minorities." Prime Minister Modi wrote, "We hope that the situation will return to normal soon and the safety of minority communities will be ensured." He accused the Congress party of adopting double standards and said that the Congress is silent on the violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, while it is vocal on issues like the conflict in Gaza. Thakur said, "The Congress party has repeatedly made big statements about Gaza, expressed its concern about the situation, but they prefer to remain silent on the atrocities being committed against Hindus in Bangladesh." Questioning the priorities of the Congress, he asked, "Why are the Congress and Rahul Gandhi so concerned about Gaza, while they remain silent when it comes to the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh?" In a recent post on social media, Rahul Gandhi had congratulated Muhammad Yunus on his new role as the head of the interim government of Bangladesh, saying, "Congratulations to Professor Mohammad Yunus on being sworn in as the head of the interim government of Bangladesh. Early restoration of peace and normalcy is the need of the hour." However, Thakur said that there was no mention of the safety of minorities in the message.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi in his post on X stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of Hindus and other minority communities in Bangladesh, reiterating India's commitment to work with Bangladesh to achieve peace, security and development. Modi said, "We hope that normalcy will be restored soon while ensuring the safety of Hindus and all other minority communities. In view of the deteriorating situation in Bangladesh, the Government of India has constituted a five-member committee to monitor the situation along the India-Bangladesh border. India is committed to working closely with Bangladesh to meet the shared aspirations of the people of both countries for peace, security and development. The Border Management Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an order to maintain communication with Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the safety of minorities and Indian nationals in Bangladesh. The committee will be headed by Ravi Gandhi, Additional Director General of Border Security Force (BSF), Eastern Command. Its members include an Inspector General from BSF Frontier Headquarters South Bengal, an Inspector General from BSF Frontier Headquarters Tripura, a member of the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) for planning and development and Secretary of LPAI.

The political landscape in Bangladesh has become increasingly volatile, marked by growing anti-government protests. Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus took over as head of the interim government after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned amid student-led demonstrations. As the situation in Bangladesh continues to unfold, the debate in India over the safety of minority communities in the neighbouring country is likely to intensify.