Stop atrocities on Hindus: Pawan Kalyan on monk’s arrest in Bangladesh

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan joined the growing list of people to have condemned the recent detention of prominent Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das by Bangladesh authorities.

Kalyan, in a post on X, called out to the United Nations to immediately intervene, and urged Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus to safeguard Hindus in the country. “Let us all unite together in condemning the detention of ISKON Bangladesh Priest ‘Chinmoy Krishna Das’ by Bangladesh police,” Kalyan wrote.

He appealed to Yunus to put an end to what he described as “atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh”, invoking the historical sacrifices made by India for Bangladesh’s independence. “Indian soldiers shed their blood, our resources were spent, and countless lives were lost for Bangladesh’s formation,” he stated, expressing profound concern over the persecution of Hindus in the country.

Kalyan’s appeal followed the detention of Das on November 25, by the authorities near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Earlier on Tuesday, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravishankar, too, spoke up about Das’s arrest. He said: “It is unbecoming of a Prime Minister of a neighbouring country to arrest a spiritual leader. He is not taking weapons, he is not taking guns, he is caring for his people. He is just standing up for the rights and wants the government to hear the atrocities that are happening to the minorities there.”

Das, a prominent leader of the Hindu organisation Sammilita Sanatani Jote, was charged with sedition, and a Chittagong court later denied him bail.

The arrest has also raised alarm within the Indian government. On Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs expressed “deep concern” over the denial of bail to Das and ongoing reports of violence targeting minority communities in Bangladesh.

The MEA noted a troubling rise in attacks on Hindus, including incidents of vandalism, looting, and desecration of temples, emphasising the urgent need to protect the rights of minorities in the neighbouring country.