Senior Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday strongly condemned the killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh, calling the incident a disturbing sign of growing lawlessness in the neighbouring country. Referring to the unrest that has followed the death of radical anti-India student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, Tharoor said it was the responsibility of Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, to immediately bring the situation under control.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Tharoor drew a contrast between protests in India and the violent developments across the border. “Protests happen in India as well, but no one gets lynched,” he said, asserting that in India, any “attempted violence” is swiftly dealt with by law enforcement agencies. “There has been no violence, no lynching, and certainly any attempted violence will and should be clamped down upon by our police. What we want to see is for the Bangladeshis to do the same thing,” he added.
Tharoor underlined that elections cannot be conducted in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. With Bangladesh scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on February 12, he warned that continued unrest would undermine the democratic process. “Elections cannot take place in an atmosphere of lawlessness and intimidation. Voters are not feeling safe,” he said, stressing that ensuring public security is an obligation of the interim administration.
The Congress MP also commented on the ripple effects of the unrest in Bangladesh, noting that some groups in India have organised protests in response. He maintained that such demonstrations fall well within the rights guaranteed by India’s democratic framework. “In our democracy, they have a right to do so. I don’t think anyone has felt that these protests are getting out of hand,” he said.
On the sensitive issue of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted following massive student-led protests in August last year, Tharoor defended India’s decision to provide her shelter. Hasina fled to India after her government collapsed and has been living in Delhi since then. Tharoor said India had acted in the “right humanitarian spirit” by not forcing her return, noting that she has been a close friend of New Delhi for many years.
“India should allow her to remain here safely until and unless the government has studied all those things in much more detail,” Tharoor said, referring to the legal and diplomatic complexities involved. He acknowledged that extradition and related matters are governed by treaties that contain obligations as well as exceptions. “A very small number of people understand the legal issues, the treaty, the obligations of the treaty, and the exceptions within the treaty. I would leave it to the government to do the appropriate consideration,” he added.
Tharoor also addressed concerns over illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Rohingyas in India. While affirming that the government has the right to deport those staying illegally, he criticised the Centre for inadequate border management. “If illegal immigrants are coming into our country, isn’t it our failure? Shouldn’t we control our borders better?” he asked.
Overall, Tharoor’s remarks reflected growing concern in India over instability in Bangladesh, particularly at a time when the country is preparing for crucial elections. He emphasised that restoring law and order, protecting citizens, and ensuring a free and fair electoral environment are essential responsibilities of the interim government if Bangladesh is to move forward peacefully.
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