“Why are the prime minister, foreign minister, defence minister, and the Union home minister silent on the situation in Bangladesh? The BJP government talks about valour and ‘parakram’ but has not responded adequately to the atrocities on minorities in the neighbouring country,” Abhishek, who inaugurated a health mela in his Lok Sabha constituency Diamond Harbour, said.
“Why has there been no strong diplomatic response from the Modi government regarding the atrocities on Hindus and other communities in Bangladesh? Have you ever heard of a country like Bangladesh daring to intimidate India before 2014? Is this how you are brightening India’s name? We are all aware of the kind of atrocities and anarchy going on across Bangladesh and the silence of our central government is adding to the speculations. The Prime Minister always speaks of a powerful government, a ‘56-inch chest government’. Now, we want to see the Centre giving a befitting reply to Bangladesh in the language they understand,” he said.
Hitting out at state BJP leaders, who “constantly criticise the TMC government”, the TMC leader said that they should instead ask their Central leadership to be vocal about the issue.
“We have made our stand absolutely clear from day one that this is a Union subject. Whatever step the Union government takes, the TMC will support the Centre for the safety and security of every Indian. We want the BJP government at the Centre to give a fitting reply… The Centre must act decisively instead of sitting idle,” said Abhishek, the second most powerful leader in the TMC after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Doubling down on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s charge against the BSF, Abhishek also alleged that the BSF was aiding the infiltration of extremists from Bangladesh. “To destabilise the state, the BSF is allowing infiltrators to cross into West Bengal. It is the state police who are actively arresting these terrorists,” he said.
“Instead of appreciating the state police’s efforts, the Opposition criticises them. It is the state police which has arrested those terrorists. The BJP should first answer why the BSF, which is responsible for border security, is failing in its duty,” he said.
Speaking about the arrest of Bangladesh nationals in the northeastern states, he said, “What is the Border Security Force doing? So many people have been caught in Tripura and Assam. Is a Trinamool government there? Isn’t it a double-engine government?”
Reacting to the rejection of ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das’ bail plea in Bangladesh court, he stated that such “outcomes are inevitable when a country’s judiciary is biased”.
“If the judiciary of a country becomes weak, the downfall of that nation is inevitable, and no one can prevent it. We have seen on various occasions that if the judiciary is not impartial or becomes biased, the decline of that country or society becomes unstoppable,” he said. — With PTI