New Delhi has hit out at Dhaka for making disingenuous comments on recent unrest in West Bengal

India has accused neighboring Bangladesh of making "disingenuous" comments on recent communal violence in the Indian state of West Bengal. The remarks were an attempt by Dhaka to shift focus away from the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh, New Delhi claimed.

On Thursday, the press secretary of Bangladesh's chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, urged Indian authorities to safeguard minority Muslim communities affected by the violence that erupted in West Bengal last week over alawinvolving Muslim land management reform.

The ensuing unrest resulted in three deaths and hundreds injured, according to reports. Yunus' press secretary stated on Facebook that attempts to connect Bangladesh to the communal violence in the Murshidabad district are strongly rejected.

BBC Banglareportedon Thursday that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had accused "Bangladeshi miscreants" of being involved in the violence. She also blamed India's Border Security Force (BSF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the unrest.

Responding on Friday, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told Dhaka to focus on protecting the "rights of its own minorities" instead of making "unwarranted" comments.

"We reject the remarks made by the Bangladeshi side with regard to the incidents in West Bengal. 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 said.

Tensions between New Delhi and Dhaka have been high since the August 2024 resignation of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who took refuge in India. Yunus, a vocal critic of Hasina, was appointed as the chief adviser to the caretaker government. At a recent meeting in Bangkok with Yunus, Indian Prime Minister Modi expressed his desire toimproverelations with Bangladesh, but also emphasized the need to avoid harmful rhetoric. He discussed concerns such as border crossings and minority rights, specifically highlighting the safety of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.

During her recentvisitto New Delhi, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told television channel NDTV that the "longtime unfortunate persecution, killing, and abuse of religious minorities" in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and others, is "a major area of concern" for the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Yunus' office claimed that Gabbard's remarks were "not based on any evidence or specific allegations" and "paint an entire nation with a broad and unjustified brush."

(RT.com)