India rejects Bangladesh's remarks on West Bengal incident as 'unjustified'

India has rejected Bangladesh’s call to ensure the safety of minority Muslims in the country, describing the remarks as 'unjustified'.

In a statement on Friday, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We reject Bangladesh's remarks regarding the West Bengal incident. It is a veiled and misleading attempt to draw a parallel with India’s concerns about the continued persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh, where the offenders remain at large."

The statement also said, "Bangladesh should prioritize ensuring the rights of its own minority groups instead of making unwarranted remarks and delivering moral lectures."

Recently, after the violence in Murshidabad of West Bengal over the Waqf Act, Chief Advisor's Press Secretary Shafiqur Alam on Thursday requested the Indian and West Bengal governments to ensure the safety of the Muslim minority. He said, "We request the Indian government and the West Bengal state government to take all necessary steps to keep the Muslim minority community safe."

Earlier, protests over a new Waqf law led to violence in India’s Muslim-majority Murshidabad district. The demonstrations included incidents of arson, stone-throwing, and road blockades.

After the unrest, India’s Home Ministry, in a preliminary investigation, suggested that some miscreants from Bangladesh might have been involved. In response, Bangladesh’s interim government strongly objected to India’s attempt to link Bangladesh to the Murshidabad violence. The Bangladeshi government also urged India to ensure full protection for its Muslim minority community.