We follow policies set by Centre: Mamata Banerjee on Bangladesh

Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that she will follow the central government's stand on the developments in Bangladesh, while expressing concerns over the current situation in the neighbouring country.

"Bangladesh is a different country. The Centre will look into it... We are not supposed to talk about it or interfere. We follow the policies set by the Centre," she said in the assembly.

The CM said she had spoken with top representatives of the organisation in Kolkata after the arrest of Iskcon monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh. Banerjee said she condemns atrocities on people of any religion. "We don't support torture on people of any religious community," she said, adding: "Since this (development in Bangladesh) concerns another country, the central government must take relevant action. We stand with them on this issue."


The arrest and attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh have drawn sharp reactions from various political parties in India, who have called for immediate intervention by the Narendra Modi government and international bodies.

Appreciating the Dhaka high court's refusal to ban Iskcon in Bangladesh, the organisation's vice-president and spokesperson Radharaman Das said in Kolkata that the situation in Bangladesh is volatile. He said the organisation is worried about the safety and health of Chinmay Krishna Das. "We offer food to god and we eat vegetarian. Jail authority allowed 'prasad' to Chinmay Krishna. We are worried about his life so that he does not get attacked by any jail mates ... There are so many criminals in jail," he said.

"We expect the Bangladesh government to provide security to monks and all minority communities after today's Bangladesh HC's judgement," Radharaman said.