Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her suggestion to send United Nations (UN) peacekeepers to Bangladesh to protect minorities, especially Hindus. Tharoor, speaking to news agency PTI, emphasized that Banerjee might not fully grasp the function of peacekeepers, stating that it is rare for the UN to deploy them to a country without a request from that nation’s government.
He suggested that if necessary, an international peacekeeping force could be dispatched to Bangladesh after discussions with its interim government to help restore order. Banerjee had made her proposal amid reports of violence against minorities in Bangladesh, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the situation. During a session in the state Assembly, she called for UN intervention, criticizing the Union government for its inaction over the past ten days regarding the Bangladesh crisis.
While expressing her support for the Centre’s efforts to control illegal immigration, she reinforced that the issue mainly lies with the Union government. Her comments followed the arrest of ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das by Bangladesh’s interim government, which has also charged him with sedition. A senior official from ISKCON expressed frustration over the UN and other organizations’ lack of attention to the ongoing violence against minority Hindus in Bangladesh, particularly targeting ISKCON members. Additionally, reports emerged that two more Hindu priests had been apprehended in Bangladesh.
