Congress slams Mamata's silence over communalism in Bangladesh

Expressing concern over communal forces' bid to destabilise Bangladesh, the Congress on Saturday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for remaining silent on the issue.

"The rise of communal forces in Bangladesh is a serious concern. Attacks are being carried out in a concerted way to communally destabilise Bangladesh. Already several priests and Buddhist monks and people advocating secularism have been attacked and killed.

"The communal forces' bid to get Bangladesh free of the minorities is a grave concern for India. I have written to the External Affairs Minister (Sushma Swaraj) in this regard," state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

"It is disconcerting to see that despite sharing a cordial relation with Bangladesh, the West Bengal government has remained passive. The Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) has remained unconcerned in the matter," said the Congress Lok Sabha member.

"Being a neighbour we should share their concerns. People in Bangladesh are voicing their concerns and we too share that. We have full faith in the Sheikh Hasina government effectively tackling the issue," said Chowdhury.

His comments come in the wake of death threats from suspected Islamic State militants to a priest at the Ramakrishna Mission in Dhaka.

With India raising the matter with Bangladesh, security at the Mission premises in Dhaka has been beefed up.

Chowdhury said India too faced a similar communal threat in the form of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"Much like Bangladesh, communal forces are rising in India as well. While the entire BJP wants to have a Congress-free India, a section of the party wants to create a Muslim-free India. This is a matter of grave concern for us and for the people of India," added Chowdhury.

--IANS

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