VHP, Bajrang Dal Clash With Police Near Bangladesh Missions

New Delhi/Kolkata: Holding saffron flags and shouting slogans against the lynching of a Hindu man, hundreds of supporters of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal broke through barricades and clashed with police after protests erupted on Tuesday in several parts of the country, including near the Bangladesh high commission in Delhi and its missions in other cities.

The protesters demanded strong diplomatic steps by India to ensure the safety of Hindus living in Bangladesh.

On December 18, Dipu Chandra Das, a 25-year-old garment factory worker, was lynched by a mob and his body set on fire over blasphemy in Baluka in Mymensingh district of Bangladesh.

The demonstrations were held in multiple cities, including Kolkata, Mumbai and Jammu. Protesters burnt effigies and photos of Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of the interim government in Bangladesh.

In the national capital, the epicentre of the protests, hundreds of supporters of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal broke through barricades and clashed with police near the fortified Bangladesh high commission.

Several barricades lay in disarray as police struggled to contain the surge. The area had been secured with seven layers of barricades and a reinforced presence of police and paramilitary.

An officer told the media that a 1,500-strong police force was deployed ahead of the demonstration. He said police managed to hold the protesters about 800 metres from the high commission. According to reports, DTC buses were parked as an obstacle to thwart the protesters’ bid to reach the high commission. A sea of banners and placards was waved by protesters, reading denunciatory messages against the Bangladesh government.

A placard read: “Hindu rakt ki ek ek boond ka hisaab chahiye (Each drop of blood of a Hindu must be accounted for).”

“A Hindu man was brutally assaulted and killed. We request the government to take strict action against those who are behind the killing. We also demand that the Bangladesh police take strict action against those who are behind the killing,” a protester told the media. Another said, “We in India consider every community as our brothers and sisters. Every Hindu in every country must be treated in the same way.”

“Every single worker of VHP and Bajrang Dal stands in support of Hindu families in Bangladesh. We will cross all the barriers and will protest in front of the Bangladesh High Commission,” a protester told the media, as slogan shouting reached a crescendo. Several protesters claimed that the agitation would not be limited to a single day and warned of a ratcheting up if their demands were not addressed.

Protesters were seen chanting the Hanuman Chalisa and raising religious slogans. Minor scuffles broke out as demonstrators pushed against the police cordon.

A VHP leader asserted that the protest was peaceful and lawful. “We demand proper protection of every single Hindu, compensation to the Hindu families, and proper rehabilitation for those families who were openly looted.”

In Kolkata, hundreds of supporters of a pro-Hindutva outfit tried to march to the Bangladesh deputy high commission here and clashed with the police when they were stopped. The police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the protesters after they breached barricades in their attempts to move closer to the deputy high commission office at Beckbagan in central Kolkata.

In the clashes, several protesters and police personnel sustained minor injuries. At least 12 demonstrators were arrested as a preventive measure, police said

The Bangladesh foreign ministry condemned acts of violence against diplomatic missions, stating that such incidents “endanger the safety of diplomatic personnel and undermine mutual respect and values of peace and tolerance.” Bangladesh also suspended visa services at its missions in New Delhi and Agartala.

Bangladesh on Tuesday morning summoned Indian high commissioner Pranay Verma to lodge a protest and raise concerns over the security of its diplomatic missions in India.

Later in the evening, in a retaliatory move, India summoned Bangladesh high commissioner Riaz Hamidullah to express displeasure over the actions of the Bangladesh interim government.

India also emphasised that earlier protests were peaceful and that all foreign missions are protected under the Vienna Convention. The Indian government expressed concern over extremist elements in Bangladesh seeking to create security issues around Indian diplomatic missions.

This marks the second time in 10 days that the Indian envoy was summoned by Dhaka, the first being in mid-December over statements made by former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The interim Bangladeshi government has reportedly threatened to scale back its diplomatic presence in India amid worsening law and order.