Real test for Modi govt to restore good old relations with Bangladesh: Asaduddin Owaisi

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], January 1 : Amid the growing tensions between India and Bangladesh, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday urged the Modi government to prioritise restoring good old ties with Bangladesh, emphasising the country's stability as crucial for India's security, particularly in the North-East.
Addressing a press conference, Owaisi termed it as a "real test" for the Modi government to restore old ties with Dhaka.
"After the death of former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia, our Foreign Minister went there. We hope there is no further deterioration in relations between India and Bangladesh. Bangladesh's stability is very important for India's security, especially in the North-East area. It is a real test for Modi's government to restore the good old relations," the AIMIM chief said.
His remarks came after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended Bangladesh's first woman Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia's funeral.
Furthermore, AIMIM chief Owaisi urged the Centre to strongly rebut the "surprising" claim by the Chinese government that Beijing had mediated between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
Owaisi said, "Surprising claim made by Chinese foreign minister that Beijing mediated ceasefire between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. I demand that the Modi government revert this claim officially and assure the country that no third-party interference is acceptable. We all know that China supplies 81% weapons to Pakistan and provided real-time intelligence during Operation Sindoor and now its claiming to have done mediation, how this can be acceptable by any Indian?"
This comes after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaking on Tuesday (local time) at the Symposium on the International Situation and China's Foreign Relations, said Beijing had played a mediating role in several global conflicts, including the one between India and Pakistan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry shared a statement on X.
"To build peace that lasts, we have taken an objective and just stance, and focused on addressing both symptoms and root causes. Following this Chinese approach to settling hotspot issues, we mediated in northern Myanmar, the Iranian nuclear issue, the tensions between Pakistan and India, the issues between Palestine and Israel, and the recent conflict between Cambodia and Thailand," Wang said.
Wang's remarks come months after India and Pakistan were locked in a brief but intense military confrontation in May, triggered by a terror attack in the Pahalgam valley of Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 people. India responded with Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
India has consistently dismissed claims of any third-party mediation, maintaining that the four-day confrontation was resolved through direct military-to-military communication.
New Delhi has maintained that, inflicted by this heavy damage, Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called the Indian DGMO and both sides agreed to stop all firing and military action on land and in the air and sea with effect from May 10.
The AIMIM chief further targeted the BJP over the Indore water contamination tragedy that led to four deaths, saying, "All they (BJP) care for is bulldozer action against Muslims. They can't even provide necessities, such as clean drinking water and claim to be Vishwaguru."
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister has announced Rs 2 lakh financial assistance to the families of the deceased and free treatment to all the affected people.