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MEA spokesperson Jaiswal dismisses Bangladesh’s concerns about minority persecution in India
Published : 18 Apr 2025, 05:33 PM
New Delhi has shrugged off Bangladesh’s calls to ensure the safety of Muslim minorities in India, asking Dhaka to “focus on protecting the rights of its minorities” instead of “virtue signalling”.
On Friday, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), responded to Shafiqur’s comment on the developments in West Bengal amid protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, the Indian Express reported.
“This is a barely disguised and disingenuous attempt to draw a parallel with India’s concerns over the ongoing persecution of minorities in Bangladesh, where the criminal perpetrators of such acts continue to roam free,” Jaiswal was quoted as saying in the report.
“Instead of making unwarranted comments and indulging in virtue signalling, Bangladesh would do better to focus on protecting the rights of its own minorities,” he said.
A statement on Facebook by Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam sparked the latest round of diplomatic spat.
He said: "We firmly reject any attempts to link Bangladesh to the communal violence in Murshidabad. We strongly condemn the attacks on Muslims and the damage to their lives and properties.”
“We call on the Indian and West Bengal governments to take all necessary steps to ensure the full security of the Muslim minority community," he added.
Last month, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Lok Sabha that “2,400 instances of atrocities” against religious minorities occurred in Bangladesh in 2024, and that count was at “72” in 2025 thus far.
Violence erupted in some parts of West Bengal, including Murshidabad, on Apr 11 following protests by the Muslim community against the Waqf Amendment Act.
The unrest resulted in three deaths and the arrest of 118 individuals.
According to Indian media reports, the protests in the Jangipur area of Murshidabad turned violent with stone-pelting at police, the setting of police vehicles on fire, and the vandalism of vehicles and motorcycles.
The situation led to widespread unrest in the Shajurmod and Dhulian areas, although calm had largely returned by the following morning, with heightened security measures in place.
BBC Bangla reported that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused "Bangladeshi miscreants" of being involved in the violence.
She also blamed the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the unrest.
Speaking at a pre-scheduled meeting with Imams and Muezzins of mosques in Kolkata, Mamata referred to the violence as a "pre-planned riot" and accused the BJP of being behind it.
Her speech, largely in Hindi, appeared to target non-Bengali-speaking Muslims.
In response, the BJP has questioned the number of Bangladeshis among over 200 individuals arrested in connection with the violence, calling for the release of this information.
