ISKCON India communications director Yudhishthir Govinda Das on Thursday expressed concern over the arrest of Pramu Chinmoy Krishna Das and blamed it on the long-running activities of radical elements in Bangladesh. He said that Prabhu Chinmay has been advocating for the safety of Hindus and temples in Bangladesh.
Said, ‘Chinmoy Krishna, like other Hindu organizations in Bangladesh, has been peacefully demanding that the safety of Hindus and temples be ensured and action be taken against those who commit violence. The activities of fundamentalist elements have been going on in Bangladesh for a long time. Many temples were attacked in Noakhali and two of our people were killed. Recently one of our centers in Meherpur was also attacked. We are trying to convey the seriousness of the situation to both the local and national governments in Bangladesh.
Acharya, the chief priest of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, said, ‘Their sole aim is to somehow harass Hindus and Hindu organizations there. In such a situation, our government should think about this. There are saints and good thinking people in ISKCON. Such conspiracies are being hatched there to break the Hindus… unless the government intervenes, the condition of Hindus there will be bad.
The National Vice President of Sabarimala Karma Samiti said that it is clear from the developments in Bangladesh that their intention was not to remove Sheikh Hasina from power, but to target Hindus. Initially he promised to take care of Hindus, but then he reneged.
BJP MP and former Chief Minister of Karnataka said that attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh cannot be tolerated. He requested the Central Government to take strict action and seal the borders with Bangladesh, identify Bangladeshi infiltrators in India and deport them at all costs. Second, the United Nations should intervene and stop the attacks on Hindus. He accused the Bangladesh government of trying to polarize the entire society and turn Bangladesh into an Islamic nation.
The Chief Minister of Bengal said in the Assembly that she does not want to comment on this matter as it is a matter related to another country. This issue has to be resolved by the Central Government and the State Government will follow the decision of the Centre. The policy of his party and government is that when it comes to other countries, both will remain with the central government.
Expressing concern over the plight of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, CPI(M) said that divisive politics based on religion is harmful for both Bangladesh and India. The party demanded immediate action from the interim government of Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Shashi Tharoor has said that ministry officials will brief the committee about the situation in Bangladesh on December 11.
Hindu organizations took out a huge procession on the streets of Kolkata on Thursday to protest against atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh and demand the release of Chinmoy Krishna Das. The procession was led by monks from various monasteries and missions. During this period there was a scuffle between the protesters and the police. The organizers said that if the oppression of Hindus in Bangladesh is not stopped immediately, then the Hindus of Bengal will launch a big protest.