Amid growing rift with Dhaka over a plethora of issues, India on Friday rejected remarks made by Bangladesh on the recent violence in Murshidabad (West Bengal) over the Waqf Act, saying the neighbouring country should focus on protecting the rights of its own minorities instead of making unwarranted comments and indulging in virtue signaling.

”We reject the remarks made by the Bangladesh side with regard to the incidents in West Bengal. This is a barely disguised and disingenuous attempt to draw a parallel with India’s concerns over the ongoing persecution of minorities in Bangladesh, where the criminal perpetrators of such acts continue to roam free,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to questions.

Advertisement

New Delhi’s statement came after Bangladesh Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam “strongly protested” India’s attempt to link Bangladesh with the violence over the Waqf Act in Murshidabad. He also asked India to take steps to ”protect the minority Muslim population”.