India has issued a strong rebuttal to remarks made by Bangladesh Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, regarding recent violence in Murshidabad, West Bengal. Alam had urged New Delhi to ensure the safety of the minority Muslim population in the region, prompting a sharp response from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
In a statement responding to media queries, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed the comments from the Bangladeshi side as “unwarranted” and described them as a “disingenuous attempt to draw a parallel” with India’s concerns over the treatment of minorities in Bangladesh.
“We reject the remarks made by the Bangladesh side with regard to the incidents in West Bengal,” Jaiswal said. “Instead of making unwarranted comments and indulging in virtue signalling, Bangladesh would do better to focus on protecting the rights of its own minorities.”
India has consistently expressed concern over what it terms as “attacks” on minority communities in Bangladesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also raised this issue in his recent bilateral meeting with Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus in Bangkok earlier this month.
In a press briefing held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, Shafiqul Alam had condemned attempts to associate Bangladesh with the violence in Murshidabad, asserting, “We strongly refute any attempts to implicate Bangladesh in the communal violence in Murshidabad.” He also called on India and the West Bengal government to “take all steps to fully protect the minority Muslim population.”
The exchange marks a rare diplomatic tension between the two neighbours, who have generally enjoyed strong bilateral ties in recent year