In Bangladesh, the arrest of religious leader Chinmoy Krishna Das alias Chinmayananda has drawn reactions from senior leaders of the Trinamul Congress (TMC), who described the incident as unfortunate.
Trinamul Congress national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee stated that the incident is regrettable and unacceptable, but he added that as it is an issue concerning a neighboring country, he cannot comment further. He said, “This is a matter for the Indian government, not the state. The Trinamul Congress will support whatever decision the Indian government takes. I cannot say more, but this incident in Bangladesh is absolutely unacceptable.”
Senior MP Saugata Roy commented that incidents in neighboring countries should not trigger any reactive effects in West Bengal, and everyone should maintain harmony irrespective of religion or community. State minister and KMC mayor Firhad Hakim emphasised the importance of maintaining good relations between India and Bangladesh and expressed hope that no further unfortunate incidents occur. TMC’s state general secretary Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of trying to politicise the situation for electoral gains and urged the party to refrain from exploiting such a sensitive issue.
On the other hand, Leader of Opposition in Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has called for a nine-hour blockade at the Petrapole border near Bongaon on Monday with 10,000 party workers, including MLAs and senior leaders. He warned that the blockade would continue for five days if Chinmoy Krishna is not released. Adhikari has reportedly discussed the matter with Union home minister Amit Shah and external affairs minister S Jaishankar. Later, he submitted a memorandum to the Bangladeshi deputy high commission today in Kolkata, demanding protection for Hindus in Bangladesh and the release of Chinmoy Krishna. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat from Nagpur last night urged all saints and Hindus to be united to fight for Chinmayananda and protection of Hindus in Bangladesh. The All India Sant Samaj, represented by Panchayati Mahanirvani Akhara’s Mahamandaleshwar Swami Paramatmananda, has called for an assembly of saints in Kolkata tomorrow demanding the release of Chinmoy Krishna. Similarly, Swami Pradiptananda, the head of Bharat Sevashram Sangha in Beldanga, has issued a similar appeal. The “Bangiya Hindu Jagaran” group has announced a march from Sealdah to the Bangladesh deputy high commission office tomorrow, which has received BJP’s support. Omkar Mission president Priyanath Chattopadhyay has sent an eight-point charter of demand to the Bangladeshi high commission in Delhi regarding Chinmoy’s release and the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh. The Akhil Bharat Jaiguru Sampraday has also extended its support to the issue.
Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, demands have surfaced to ban the religious organization ISKCON. A petition has been filed in the Bangladesh High Court seeking such a ban. The Bangladeshi government has reportedly referred to ISKCON as a “religious extremist organisation” and is reviewing its activities, according to Mohammad Yunus’s administration. Recently, two organisations—Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Mancha and Bangladesh Unified Minority Alliance, under the banner of the newly-formed “Bangladesh Unified Sanatani Awakening Alliance,” began their campaigns. Chinmoy was made the spokesperson for this alliance. In July, however, ISKCON expelled Chinmoy Krishna from its organisation. ISKCON’s senior PRO in India Ramesh Das stated that since the matter is sub-judice, the organisation would not comment on it. A massive procession was taken out for demanding release of Chinmoy Krishna at Agartala in Tripura led by “Sanatani Hindu Sena.”