Refrain from making provocative statements on Bangladesh crisis, Mamata directs party legislators

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday directed her party legislators to refrain from making any statement on the ongoing crisis in neighbouring Bangladesh that might ignite tension in the state.

“The attacks on minorities in Bangladesh are really unfortunate. We are against any kind of attack on any community anywhere in the world on the basis of religion. Refrain from making any provocative statement on this issue,” the Chief Minister told the Assembly on the 10th day of the ongoing Winter Session.

Without naming the BJP directly, she accused the principal opposition party in the state of trying to exploit the Bangladesh crisis to gain political mileage.

“One particular political party is circulating fake videos. But those who are thinking that they will gain political mileage out of it, they are wrong,” the Chief Minister said.

Banerjee reiterated her earlier stand that her government and her party would support any action of the Union government on the Bangladesh issue.

“The Union government will handle the matter. Our policy is to just follow the external affairs policies of the Union government. Many of us have relatives in Bangladesh. So we will support any move of the Union government in the matter. I request the Union government and the Prime Minister to intervene in the matter,” she said.

She also said that common people from any religion are never in favour of riots. “Riots are made by some anti-social elements,” she said.

Last week the Chief Minister sought the intervention of the United Nations in the current crisis in neighbouring Bangladesh. Then she also floated a proposal for the Union government to consider sending peacekeeping forces to Bangladesh following UN intervention. She also floated a demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi give a statement on the matter and seek UN intervention.

IANS