Ujjain: Religious leaders in Ujjain have issued a stern warning to disrupt Indian Premier League (IPL) matches by damaging pitches if Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman is allowed to participate.
The threat comes amid mounting anger over recent violent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, particularly two brutal lynching incidents linked to blasphemy allegations.
The seers, including Mahavir Nath, chief priest of the Rinmukteshwar Mahadev Temple in Ujjain, told reporters that ascetic warriors would storm stadiums to prevent matches involving the Bangladeshi player. They accused authorities of ignoring the “persecution” of Hindus in Bangladesh while permitting Bangladeshi cricketers to play in India. Several other seer organisations have issued similar warnings.
The controversy escalated after Kolkata Knight Riders acquired Mustafizur Rahman, the only Bangladeshi player in the recent IPL auction, for Rs 9.20 crore. Social media campaigns called for boycotting KKR, labelling the inclusion as a “slap on every Hindu’s face” amid reports of minority violence.
The outrage follows two high-profile incidents in Bangladesh. On December 18, in Bhaluka Upazila, Mymensingh district, 27-year-old Hindu garment worker Dipu Chandra Das was accused by Muslim co-workers of making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad during World Arabic Language Day celebrations. He was dragged from his workplace at Pioneer Knit Composite Factory, brutally beaten by a mob, hanged from a tree, and his body set on fire beside a highway. Investigations found no direct evidence of blasphemy, and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested several individuals. The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus condemned the act but described it as isolated, amid broader unrest following the death of a prominent youth leader.
Days later, on December 24, another Hindu man, 29-year-old Amrit Mondal (alias Samrat or Amit Mondal), was lynched in Rajbari’s Pangsha sub-district over extortion allegations. Villagers attacked him, and though police rescued him in critical condition, he later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
During a visit to Raipur on Friday, Bageshwar Dham’s spiritual leader Dhirendra Shastri condemned the attacks as “unfortunate” and warned that Hindus in Bangladesh could face extinction without government intervention. He called for the deportation of Bangladeshi infiltrators in India and urged strong measures to protect minorities abroad, stating, “If Hindus there are not safe, they should be given refuge here.”
These developments have strained India-Bangladesh ties, with India expressing grave concern over documented violence against minorities. Hindu nationalist groups in India have held protests, while Bangladeshi authorities have made arrests in both cases.
With IANS inputs