India on Saturday issued a stern diplomatic response to Bangladesh regarding the abduction and killing of Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a prominent Hindu minority leader.
In a strong message condemning the incident, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have noted with distress the abduction and brutal killing of Shri Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a Hindu minority leader in Bangladesh.This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government even as the perpetrators of previous such events roam with impunity."
"We condemn this incident and once again remind the interim government to live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities, including Hindus, without inventing excuses or making distinctions", the statement further continued.
The development came amid the already strained bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh since the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das at Dhaka airport last year. His arrest of Das under the charges of sedition triggered widespread protests in Bangladesh in the last two months of 2024.
Following the incident, India urged the Yunus administration to protect minorities, while stating that the reported acts of violence against minorities can't be dismissed as "media exaggeration."
All About The Incident
As per media reports, 58-year-old Hindu leader Bhabesh Chandra Roy was kidnapped from his home in Basudebpur village in Dinajpur district.
While sharing details of the incident, police and family members reportedly said that Roy received a phone call around 4:30 pm on Wednesday, believed to be from the men who later attacked him.
Citing local media reports, NDTV reported that the body was recovered on Thursday night.
According to local reports, roughly thirty minutes after the call, four individuals arrived at Roy's home on two motorcycles who abducted him and took him to Narabari village, where he was assaulted.
Roy was taken to a hospital in Dinajpur following his return to his home in an unconscious state. However, he was declared dead on arrival.
Congress vs BJP Feud Over Minority Rights
In view of the killing of the Hindu leader in Bangladesh, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge termed PM Modi's recent meeting with Muhammad Yunus as "ineffective" in securing protections for minorities.
"In Bangladesh, religious minorities, especially our Hindu brothers and sisters, are continuously facing atrocities," Mr Kharge said in a statement. "The brutal murder of a prominent Hindu community leader, Mr Bhabesh Chandra Roy, is evidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cordial meeting with Bangladesh's Chief Advisor has failed."
Citing official data, the veteran Congress leader also said that there had been 76 attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh in the past two months alone, resulting in 23 deaths.
Responding to Kharge's remarks, BJP spokesperson Charu Pragya questioned Congress' silence on alleged attacks on Hindus in West Bengal.
"Let me ask a question to Mr Kharge, why are you always silent on the plight of Hindus in your own country?" she asked.
"The first thing Congress should do is realise that targeting PM Modi for his cordial ties with a global figure like Muhammad Yunus is absolutely absurd," she told NDTV while adding, "These connections serve India's interests in trade and regional security. You cannot define foreign policy on grudges. India's relationship is with the country of Bangladesh. Regimes can change. It is a bit childish of Congress to make irresponsible statements like that."
