Kolkata: Protests erupted across West Bengal on Sunday, sparked by allegations of mistreatment of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Demonstrations were held in several cities, including Kolkata, Kanthi, Kakdwip, Sandeshkhali, and Purulia, where members of Hindutva organisations demanded the release of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das.
At a rally near the Salt Lake International Bus Terminus in Kolkata, protesters burnt Dhakai Jamdani sarees from Bangladesh. The protestors called for a boycott of Bangladeshi goods, warning that India would not remain silent in the face of attacks on Hindus and disrespect for the national flag.
Protesters call for boycott of Bangladeshi goods
“We condemn the ongoing persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh and the hateful narratives against India. With this act of burning Jamdani sarees, we urge people to avoid Bangladeshi products,” one protester said. Another protester said, “What kind of Bangladesh is this? The same country whose people fought for freedom in 1971 now seems to be erasing its own history.”
Suvendu Adhikari leads rally in Kanthi
In Kanthi, the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, led a protest rally, saying that ‘sanatanis’ were standing together against rising extremism in Bangladesh. He criticised the neighbouring country’s Islamist forces, saying, “The sacrifice of 30,000 Indian soldiers in the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war has been forgotten by the Islamists. Today’s rally sends a strong message to those inciting division across the border.”
Asked about the anti-India rhetoric from Bangladeshi groups, Adhikari said that the Indian government, following international norms and UN guidelines, would take necessary action at an appropriate time.
