Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar to Address Parliament on Chinmoy Krishna Das Issue in Bangladesh

Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar to Address Parliament on Chinmoy Krishna Das Issue in Bangladesh

New Delhi, India: Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to address the Lok Sabha on Friday regarding the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, the spokesperson for Bangladesh’s Sanatani Jagaran Alliance, who was detained on charges of sedition. The announcement comes following a high-level meeting between Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, during which issues concerning Bangladesh’s Hindu minority were discussed.

Reports from NDTV, Anandabazar Patrika, and BBC Bangla indicate that Jaishankar and Modi deliberated on several topics, including the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, alleged insecurity faced by minority communities in Bangladesh, and recent incidents of vandalism at a temple in Chattogram.

Jaishankar is expected to provide a comprehensive statement in both houses of Parliament, with NDTV suggesting that opposition parties are unlikely to raise objections to the discussion. The issue has already gained traction in the Indian Parliament, where several Lok Sabha members have raised concerns about the safety of Hindu temples and idols in Bangladesh.

Responding to questions in Parliament on Thursday, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, confirmed that the Indian government had communicated its concerns to Bangladesh’s interim government. He cited incidents such as the vandalism of a puja mandap in Tantibazar and the theft of a gold crown from a Kali temple in Satkhira during Durga Puja.

“The Indian government has urged Bangladesh to ensure the security of all places of worship, particularly those belonging to minorities, and to guarantee the safety of all citizens, including minorities, as a fundamental responsibility of the interim government,” Singh said.

The controversy around Chinmoy Krishna Das’s arrest has also prompted a diplomatic exchange between the two countries. While India expressed its concerns through a statement issued by its Ministry of External Affairs, Bangladesh responded by asserting that the matter is an “internal issue” of the country.

The upcoming statement by Jaishankar in Parliament is expected to shed further light on India’s position and the diplomatic efforts underway to address the situation.