Kolkata: Senior monks of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) in Kolkata have reached out to the Union home ministry and are demanding UN's intervention in order to ensure the safety of Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu, an Iskcon monk arrested in Bangladesh, as well as minorities in the neighbouring country.
"Chinmoy was just demanding the security of minorities in Bangladesh, but he was arrested and is being treated like a terrorist. They didn't even grant him bail. It's an international issue, and we have demanded intervention from the ministry as well as international bodies like the UN. The MEA issued a strong statement, and now the ball is in Bangladesh's court. The entire world is watching," said Radharaman Das, vice-president and spokesperson of Iskcon Kolkata.
Chinmoy, who is president of Pundarik Dham and a leading figure in the Hindu community in Bangladesh, was arrested on sedition charges while travelling from Dhaka to Chittagong. His arrest sparked outrage in both Bangladesh and India, with politicians and religious figures criticising the move.
Speaking to TOI, Das said Iskcon monks in Bangladesh were now scared and hiding inside ashrams. "Being a monk is very risky right now in Bangladesh. They are confined to their ashrams like caged birds. I have not slept since yesterday. I saw horrific videos of people being attacked with daggers and sticks simply for demanding his release. The world should intervene to handle the current situation," said Das, who organised a special prayer for the arrested monk at Radha Govinda temple on Tuesday.
Iskcon Mayapur's spokesperson, Rasik Gouranga Das, said he had faith in God and the judiciary. "The law should follow its own course, and I believe he will get justice. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's followers only seek peace and love, and we never endorse the path of violence," he told TOI.
BJP MLAs, led by state leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari, organised a demonstration in the Bengal assembly complex protesting the arrest of Chinmoy Prabhu. They held a protest march with placards featuring the arrested monk's images and demanded his immediate release. Adhikari said he would take up the issue with Union govt and would plead that all cross-border trade activities with Bangladesh be suspended. "Bangladesh govt should not forget how much they are dependent on India for the supply of essential commodities. So the supply of commodities to Bangladesh should be stopped unless Chinmoy Prabhu is released," said Adhikari.