Jagadguru Rambhadracharya calls Bangladesh government 'anti-hindu', urges India to take action

New Delhi [India], December 24 : Spiritual leader Jagadguru Rambhadracharya on Tuesday called for strong action from the Indian government in response to the ongoing persecution of Hindus and the destruction of temples in Bangladesh. He lashed out at the current Bangladesh government, describing it as "anti-Hindu", and added that dialogue alone will not resolve the situation.
Speaking to ANI, he expressed concern over the failure of diplomatic talks to halt the violence and stressed the need for stringent measures to stop the atrocities. He said, "The atrocities being committed against Hindus in Bangladesh and the way temples are being destroyed require the government to take firm action now. The government has been in constant talks with Bangladesh for many days, urging them to stop the atrocities against Hindus, but the persecution continues. In such a situation, stringent measures should be taken because they will not stop without such action."
Rambhadracharya also urged India to take strong action, as dialogue with Bangladesh will not resolve the issues. He added, "The current Bangladesh government is anti-Hindu. You must have heard today that the Ministry of External Affairs has received a letter demanding the return of Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh. But India will not do that. Differences between the two (India and Bangladesh) will only increase. India will have to take strong action, but dialogue will not help."
Earlier on Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed receiving a "Note Verbale" from the Bangladesh High Commission regarding an extradition request for ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. However, the Ministry refrained from commenting on the matter. A spokesperson from the MEA stated, "We confirm that we have received a Note Verbale from the Bangladesh High Commission today in connection with an extradition request. At this time, we have no comment to offer on this matter."
The request was made through a "note verbale" to the Indian government. Bangladesh's Interim Government's Foreign Affairs Adviser, Touhid Hossain, confirmed the development, saying, "We have sent a note verbale to India requesting the return of Sheikh Hasina."
Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India on August 5 after being ousted by a student-led movement, is currently in India. The movement, which began in early July, led to violent protests and clashes, resulting in over 600 deaths. Following Hasina's departure, an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.
Earlier on December 9, Hasina accused Muhammad Yunus of being the "mastermind" behind the student protests that led to her removal. She claimed the protests were part of a meticulously designed plan to overthrow her government. Hasina also criticized the interim government for its handling of the situation, calling it "fascist" and alleging that the people of Bangladesh were being deprived of their rights.
Hasina further condemned the arrest of former ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das on sedition charges, stating that he was not allowed legal defense. She claimed this indicated that Bangladesh has no law and order. "They arrested Chinmoy Krishna Das and said there couldn't be any lawyer defending him. What kind of justice is this? This proves that Bangladesh doesn't have law and order," she added.
The situation in Bangladesh remains tense, with Hasina accusing the interim government of depriving the people of their rights. The international community is closely monitoring the developments, with concerns about the implications of Hasina's potential extradition.