Protect lives, property of Hindu community: Dr Karan Singh to Bangladesh govt

Jammu, Nov 30: Former Sadr-e-Riyasat and  senior Congress leader Dr Karan Singh today urged the Bangladesh  government to protect the lives and property of Hindu community there.

In a statement, he said, “I urge the Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus who heads the new Government of Bangladesh to take immediate steps to prevent this carnage and to reassure the large and widespread Hindu community that their lives, property and religious places shall be fully secure. The recent events have created widespread concern in the billion strong Hindu community around the world and is gravely impacting the image of Bangladesh. I am confident that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar have convey the appropriate message to Bangladesh on behalf of India.”

He added that having been in the Union Cabinet and personally witnessed the whole saga of Bangladesh liberation in the 1970's, it was assumed that unlike Pakistan where Islamic fundamentalism suffused the nation, Bangladesh was to be a democratic and non-denominational nation where all religious communities would receive equal protection from the state. “But, recent events in Bangladesh in which Hindu Temples, organisations, community leaders and private residences have been ruthlessly attacked causing severe loss of life and property are indeed shocking. The same has happened with Christian Church's and the Ahmadiyya community. These events are highly condemnable,” Dr Singh said.