Monks protest near Petrapole border over release of spiritual leader

Kolkata: Hundreds of Hindu monks from various parts of the state gathered near the Petrapole on India-Bangladesh border in North 24-Parganas protesting against attacks on minorities and Hindus in Bangladesh and to demand the release of detained spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in the neighbouring country.

The demonstration was organised under the banner of the Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti. The protest was organised around 800 meters away from the Petrapole border checkpoint on Monday morning.

Swami Paramatmananda, president of the Bengal chapter of the Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti, had said on Sunday that the agitation will continue at Petrapole border “until the Bangladesh government takes action to stop attacks on Hindus and temples”. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari also reached the protest site and said: “A blockade is going on. This will go on for 24 hours, starting 6 am on Monday. They should stop damaging temples, otherwise there will be a massive agitation.” Calling the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus “anti-Hindu”, Adhikar said: “It is a radical, extremist and anti-Hindu government. They are trying to destroy temples and also detain Hindu monks and saints illegally.”

A senior Trinamool Congress leader said that Adhikari should take up the issue with the Central government so that the latter take up these issues with neighbouring Bangladesh. It was earlier stated that the BJP known for its ‘Hindutva’ stand was trying to garner political mileage over a sensitive issue involving the international borders. It was also stated that the TMC-led government was aware of the situation and concerned about the alleged excesses on minorities in Bangladesh. The Chief Minister of Bengal had earlier said that the Bangladesh incident was a great cause of concern, however, she would support Centre’s stand on the issue.

Addressing the Assembly on Monday, the CM urged the Centre to move the UN in deploying a peacekeeping mission in the neighbouring country, besides seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in bringing back persecuted Indians from foreign soil. A monk at the protest site said: “We will form a human chain and protest to convey our message of peace to the Indian government and the Bangladesh dispensation, demanding an immediate stop of atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh.”