The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly condemned the recent political turmoil and violent incidents in neighboring Bangladesh, framing them as a deliberate plot against India's rising global stature. The party's leadership in Jammu and Kashmir has pointed fingers at external forces allegedly unable to digest India's progress.
BJP's Allegation of a 'Well-Planned Conspiracy'
On Tuesday, Sunil Sharma, a BJP leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, addressed the media with serious allegations. He described the recent attempts to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the subsequent attacks on the minority Hindu community as a "well-planned conspiracy."
While stating that the exact perpetrators behind the anti-India protests in Bangladesh were unclear, Sharma suggested the involvement of certain countries. "It appears to be a well-planned conspiracy by some countries who are unable to digest India's fast pace of progress in the race to become a global power," he asserted. This statement directly links the internal affairs of Bangladesh to perceived international jealousy towards India's development.
Violent Backdrop: Lynching and Protests
The BJP's remarks come against a grim backdrop of escalating violence in Bangladesh. The trigger for recent protests was the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi in a Singapore hospital. Hadi, a prominent figure in last year's anti-government protests and a vocal critic of India, had fled Bangladesh after Prime Minister Hasina was sentenced to death in November.
More alarmingly, this period also witnessed the horrific lynching of a Bangladeshi Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das. Das was brutally beaten to death and then set on fire following allegations of blasphemy. This incident has sent shockwaves through the Hindu community in Bangladesh and drawn sharp reactions in India.
Solidarity and Protests in Jammu
In a show of solidarity, members of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association held a demonstration in Jammu to protest the killing of Dipu Chandra Das. The protestors urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter.
Nirmal Kotwal, President of the Bar Association, voiced the collective anguish, stating, "We condemn the repeated attacks and killings of Hindus in Bangladesh. Either ensure their protection there, or bring them to India." This sentiment highlights the growing demand for governmental action to safeguard Hindu minorities across the border.
Parallel protests were organized by various right-wing organizations in districts like Rajouri and Kishtwar. The outcry was significant enough to lead to market shutdowns in several areas, underscoring the widespread concern over the events in Bangladesh.
The situation remains tense, with the BJP's framing of the events as an international conspiracy adding a new geopolitical dimension to the ongoing crisis. The call for protection or repatriation of Bangladeshi Hindus signals a potential shift in the discourse surrounding minority safety in the region.
