While maintaining caution not to comment on “a different country”, Banerjee said “we have compassion and sympathy for anyone whose blood is shed…” and offered “shelter” to anyone from Bangladesh if they “knock on the door of Bengal”.
Sources in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi called the chief minister’s comments “totally misplaced”. “These are matters that are handled by the Union Government. A state government has no locus standi on the issue and as such, their comments are totally misplaced,” said a ministry official.
So far, the Indian government has been cautious not to comment on the protests in Bangladesh, which it called an “internal matter”.
Speaking at the Martyrs’ Day rally in Kolkata, the chief minister said: “I will not comment on Bangladesh. It is a different country.
Whatever there is to say, the Indian government will say. Jodi asohai manush banglar dorja thokthokai, amra tader asroy debo (But if helpless people knock on the door of Bengal, we will shelter them). There is a UN resolution that neighbouring areas can help if someone is in trouble. Earlier, when some people faced problems in Assam, they took shelter in Bengal.”
“I will ask everyone not to comment on Bangladesh, not to fall prey to instigations. We have compassion and sympathy for anyone whose blood is shed. We are sad for those people,” she said.
She also said that her government was ready to help in the evacuation of Indian citizens stuck in Bangladesh. “If there are relatives (of Indian citizens) in Bangladesh. They may have gone there to work or to study. We are ready to help their return,” she said.
In an X post later, she wrote: “Hundreds of students and others are returning to West Bengal/ India, from the trouble-torn Bangladesh. I have asked our State administration to render all help and assistance to the returnees. For instance, around 300 students arrived at Hilli border today and most of them left for their respective destinations safely: 35 of them, however, needed help and we provided them with basic amenities and facilitation assistance. United we stand!”.
Meanwhile, the BJP hit out at the TMC chief. The party’s IT Cell chief and co-observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya, posted on X: “Who gave Mamata Banerjee the authority to welcome anyone in India? Immigration and citizenship are exclusively in the Center’s domain. The States have no locus-standi. This is part of I.N.D.I Alliance’s evil plan to settle illegal Bangladeshis from Bengal to Jharkhand, so that they can win elections.”
“On odd days, she (Banerjee) says she will not allow Hindu refugees, who came to India to escape religious persecution, to apply for citizenship under the CAA and get their legitimate rights. If they insist, she will ask illegal Rohingyas, who vote for the TMC, to burn trains, block roads and kill people… On even days, she says Bangladeshis are welcome in India,” the BJP leader alleged.
The protests in Bangladesh against the quota for freedom fighters’ families in government jobs have escalated over the last week. The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has scaled back the quota system for government jobs after it led to nationwide unrest and deadly clashes between the police and protesters, reportedly killing more than 100 people.
As the Bangladesh government imposed a curfew and internet shutdown, the Indian mission in Bangladesh has facilitated the return of 978 Indians. Meanwhile, Kolkata has seen protests on the issue by some students and human rights outfits.