“We have registered our strong protest on this issue with the Bangladesh side. We understand that the post being referred to has reportedly been taken down. We would like to remind all concerned to be mindful of their public comments,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhi Jaiswal said at a media briefing.
Dr. Muhammad Yunus (photo:SNS)
India has registered a strong protest with Bangladesh over the recent comments made in a social media post by Mahfuz Alam, a close aide of Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, in which he reportedly threatened to capture parts of India on ‘Vijay Diwas’, the day that marks India’s victory over Bangladesh in the 1971 war.
“We have registered our strong protest on this issue with the Bangladesh side. We understand that the post being referred to has reportedly been taken down. We would like to remind all concerned to be mindful of their public comments,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhi Jaiswal said at a media briefing.
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He said that while India has repeatedly signalled interest in fostering relations with the people and the interim government of Bangladesh, such comments underline the need for responsibility in public articulation.
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In his social media post that he subsequently withdrew following widespread backlash, Mr Alam highlighted cultural similarities between his country and parts of India, which he claimed, transcend religious differences. He also shared a map portraying the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam as territories of Bangladesh.
On the Bangladesh Chief Adviser Yunus calling for the revival of SAARC during his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the MEA spokesperson said it is very well known why SAARC, a grouping of eight South Asian countries, is lying in cold storage.
”We want to strengthen regional cooperation…BIMSTEC is a connectivity programme. SAARC also is a programme for regional cooperation…everybody knows why it is in the cold,” he said.
India has always held the view that SAARC cannot progress until Pakistan stops promoting cross-border terrorism.
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