Bangladesh sends protest note against Amit Shah’s speech in Jharkhand

The protest note from Dhaka came after the Union Home Minister had referred to the issue of influx into India from the neighbourhood

Bangladesh on Monday (September 23, 2024) lodged a “strong protest” against what it described as “highly deplorable remarks” made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to Jharkhand last week. In a protest note handed over to the High Commission of India in Dhaka, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh said the comments by Mr. Shah caused “deep sense of hurt” in Bangladesh.

“We have lodged a strong protest against the highly deplorable remarks reportedly made by the Union Home Minister of India Mr. Amit Shah about Bangladeshi nationals during his recent visit to Jharkhand, India,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh in a statement on Monday.

A protest note regarding the matter was handed over to Deputy High Commissioner of India Pawan Badhe.

“The Ministry conveyed its serious reservation, deep sense of hurt and extreme displeasure and called upon the Government of India to advise the political leaders to refrain from making such objectionable and unacceptable remarks,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh further stated. The protest note from Dhaka came after Mr. Shah had referred to the issue of influx into India from the neighbourhood.

In a speech delivered in Sahibganj of poll-bound Jharkhand on September 20, Mr. Shah had presented his assessment of the inter- community situation in Jharkhand saying, “In Pakur district, slogans are being raised asking Hindus and Adivasis to leave Jharkhand. Tell me, does this land belong to Adivasis or Rohingya, Bangladeshi infiltrators?” Mr. Shah had said.

Significantly, the Indian High commission in Dhaka has been reaching out to the stakeholders in the interim government of Bangladesh in the last three weeks of September. On Sunday, Mr. Badhe had accompanied High Commissioner of India Pranay Verma in a meeting with the General Secretary of Bangladesh Nationalist Party in a rare meeting.

Published - September 24, 2024 12:11 am IST