Joining issue with foreign minister S Jaishankar over the “very troubling” incidents of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain said it “cannot be an issue for India”, while also emphasising that how minorities are treated in India is an internal matter for New Delhi. Jaishankar had also commented that it’s up to Bangladesh to decide “what kind of relationship” it wants with India.
Jaishankar had Saturday highlighted “two aspects” of what is “very troubling” for India. “The spate of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, obviously it is something which impacts our thinking and it is something we have to speak up about, which we have done,” he said, adding, “The second aspect is they (Bangladesh) have their politics, but at the end of the day, the two countries are neighbours… They have to make up their minds on what kind of relationship they want to have with us.”
When asked for his reaction to Jaishankar’s statement, Hossain on Monday said, “Of course, Bangladesh will determine its stance. But at the same time, India also needs to decide what kind of relationship it wants with Bangladesh. This is a mutual matter, and there is nothing wrong in stating that.”
He said Bangladesh has a clear stance on its relations with India, emphasising importance of a good working relationship based on mutual respect & shared interests. “We want a relationship built on mutual understanding, and there is no ambiguity in our position,” he said.
Hossain, while claiming that Indian media had been creating “distorted versions” of the minority issue, which is being portrayed in various ways by different people, said, “I believe the policy of non-interference should be followed.”