New Delhi: Expressing “serious concern” over incidents of violence against Hindus, Buddhists and other minority communities in Bangladesh amid the political turmoil, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has urged the country’s interim government to take strict action to stop them.
“We expect the interim government of Bangladesh to take strict action to immediately stop such incidents. Also, the government must make proper arrangements to protect the lives, property, and honour of the victims,” read a statement issued by RSS general secretary (sarkaryavah) Dattatreya Hosabale.
This is the first official statement by the BJP’s ideological parent on the matter.
The RSS further said that “cruelty like targeted killings, looting, arson and heinous crimes against women belonging to Hindu and other religious minorities and attacks on Hindu Mandirs in Bangladesh are intolerable. RSS strongly condemns this”.
The organisation has also requested the global community and political parties in India “to stand in solidarity with persecuted communities like Hindu, Buddhist, etc., in this critical time”.
“As a friendly neighbour, the Government of Bharat is trying to play an able role in this situation in Bangladesh. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh urges the Government to make every effort to ensure the safety of Hindus, Buddhists, etc. in Bangladesh,” Hosabale’s statement added.
The RSS’ statement comes days after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) raised concerns over the safety of the Hindu community in Bangladesh.
On Thursday, the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, the women’s wing of the RSS, had also issued a statement raising similar concerns.
In a video message, the organisation’s chief Shantha Kumari had claimed that efforts are being made to create confusion and instability in India against the backdrop of the situation in Bangladesh. She also called upon the Hindu society to remain vigilant and united to thwart any such moves.
She also raised concerns over Hindu temples being vandalised and Hindu girls being “kidnapped” in Bangladesh.
ThePrint had earlier reported that the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami (BJI) on Wednesday said they were aware of attacks on religious minorities, which included vandalism, looting, and arson.
The party strongly condemned these actions, asserting that the “ideas of majority and minority are irrelevant” and “that all citizens have equal rights”. Student leaders who led the mass protests against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh also urged their supporters to protect Hindu temples and churches.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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