"Turned against India:" Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot condemns atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh, recalls 1971 war

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], January 6 : Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condemned the attacks on the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh and criticised the Government of India's diplomatic approach towards the neighbouring country.
In a post on X, the former Chief Minister described reports of barbarity against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh as "disturbing." He said the killing of five Hindus and the atrocities committed against women are a blot on humanity.
Recalling the 1971 Indo-Pak war, Gehlot expressed concern over the rise of anti-Indian sentiments in Bangladesh, calling it a failure of the Government of India's diplomacy.
"The reports of barbarity against Hindu minorities coming from Bangladesh are disturbing. In just 19 days, the murder of 5 Hindus and the atrocities being committed against women there are a blot on humanity. The memories of that era in 1971 are still fresh today, when under the leadership of Smt. Indira Gandhi, India not only showed diplomatic firmness but also changed both history and geography with its resolute will. She did not even care for a superpower like America, which had dispatched its seventh fleet against India. It is also concerning that a country whose very creation was facilitated by India has turned against India. This is a diplomatic failure of the Government of India," said Gehlot.
The former CM further asserted that protecting the lives and dignity of minorities in Bangladesh is India's moral and diplomatic responsibility.
"The Central Government should move beyond ritualistic statements like expressing 'deep concern' and take concrete steps. Protecting the lives and dignity of minorities in a neighbouring country is our moral and diplomatic responsibility. History bears witness that the lives of the innocent can be saved not merely through empty slogans, but through decisive leadership. The Prime Minister should intervene in this matter and exert effective pressure on Bangladesh's interim government," added Gehlot.
Meanwhile, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) raised serious concerns over a surge in violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, alleging six killings in the last 18 days in the neighbouring country.
VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal accused the country's leadership, including a "Nobel Peace Prize winner," of remaining a silent spectator while atrocities continue unabated.
Speaking to ANI, Bansal said, "The killing of Hindus in Bangladesh is not stopping. It is a serious issue that in the last 18 days, 6 Hindus have been killed in Bangladesh... Even yesterday, a ship owner was killed. A 40-50 year old woman who was sitting at her home, jihadis not only gangraped her but also burnt her alive... There are several such killings taking place in the country... The so-called Nobel Peace Prize winner is running an empire of unrest and has become a silent spectator..."
VHP spokesperson Bansal's remarks came after a 40-year-old Hindu man, Sarat Chakraborty Mani, was murdered in Bangladesh on Monday night in Narsingdi, near Dhaka. According to the Bangladesh-registered Newspaper Weeklyblitz, he was attacked with sharp weapons by unidentified assailants.
Residents and eyewitnesses claimed the attack occurred while Mani was operating his grocery shop at Charsindur Bazaar in Palash Upazila. The assailants reportedly arrived suddenly and assaulted him with sharp weapons before fleeing the scene. He sustained critical injuries and died while being taken to the hospital, reported Local Media.
The incident marks the sixth reported killing of a Hindu individual in Bangladesh within the past 18 days.
According to local media, on 19 December, Mani wrote a Facebook post expressing concern about violence in the country, describing his birthplace as having become "a valley of death." Police are investigating the incident.
Earlier, another Hindu Man was killed in Bangladesh. According to Prothom Alo, the ice factory owner Rana Pratap Bairagi was shot dead in public in the Monirampur area of Jesore. According to local media, he owned an ice manufacturing factory in Kapalia Bazar, Monirampur, and served as the acting editor of the newspaper 'Dainik BD Khobor' published from Narail.