NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday condemned the recent arrest of Iskcon priest Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh and urged the centre to take relevant action.
While speaking in the legislative assembly, Mamata said that no religion should be harmed and her government is with the Central government on this issue.
“We do not want any religion to be harmed. I have spoken to ISKCON here,” Mamata said.
“Since this is a matter of another country, the Central government should take relevant action on this. We are with them (the Central government) on this issue,” she added.
Earlier on Tuesday, India had expressed “deep concern” over these developments. On Tuesday, the Indian government urged Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the safety and security of all minority groups, including Hindus.
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) also called on Bangladeshi authorities to ensure “peaceful coexistence” for Hindus in the country following the arrest of prominent Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari.
In a statement, ISKCON Bangladesh strongly denounced the arrest and the subsequent violence targeting the Sanatani community in various parts of the nation.
“We express our serious concern and strongly denounce the recent arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das. We also condemn the subsequent violence and attacks against Sanatanis in various regions of Bangladesh,” said ISKCON Bangladesh general secretary Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari.
“We urge the government authorities to promote peaceful coexistence for the Sanatani community,” he said.
Chinmoy Krishna Das, spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested on Monday at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while en route to Chattogram to participate in a rally.