Bangladesh strongly protests Amit Shah’s remarks

The foreign ministry on Monday strongly protested the highly derogatory remarks of Indian home minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah regarding the Bangladeshi citizens during a recent political meeting in Jharkhand.

At the same time, the Bangladesh government has called upon the political leaders of India to refrain from making such slanderous and unacceptable remarks.

The foreign ministry handed over a protest note to Indian deputy high commissioner to Bangladesh Pawan Badhe expressing extreme disconent over the remarks of the Indian home minister to Indian deputy high commissioner in Bangladesh, said a press release on Monday.

India-based The Telegraph reports, Amit Shah, while addressing a rally in the Sahibganj district ahead of the legislative assembly (Bidhansabha) election in Jharkhand, said, “I appeal to you to let the BJP form the government in Jharkhand. We will hang every Bangladeshi infiltrator upside down to give them a lesson.”

Ahead of the recently held Lok Sabha (parliamentary) elections, the BJP leaders alleged that the indigenous population in Santal Pargana was declining and the number of ‘Bangladeshi intruders’ was rising gradually.

Amit Shah reiterated the claim in the Jharkhand rally as well.

Following that the foreign ministry issued the protest note to convey its serious reservation, deep sense of hurt and extreme displeasure, the press release said.

The protest note called upon the Indian government to advise the political leaders to refrain from making such objectionable and unacceptable remarks.

The foreign ministry also stressed such remarks, coming from responsible positions against the nationals of a neighbouring country; undermine the spirit of mutual respect and understanding between two friendly countries, it said.