Teach lesson like Israel did in Gaza: Suvendu Adhikari on Bangladesh

Kolkata: Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has sparked widespread controversy after stating that Bangladesh should be taught a "lesson like Israel has taught Gaza." The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader made the remarks while leading a protest outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata on Friday.

Addressing reporters, Adhikari condemned the recent violence against minorities in Bangladesh. "These people must be taught a lesson, just like Israel taught Gaza. Our 100 crore Hindus and the government working in the interest of Hindus must teach them a lesson just as we taught Pakistan a lesson in Operation Sindoor," he said.

The comments drew a sharp reaction from the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), which accused the BJP of "perfecting hate and intolerance into an artform." In a post on X, the party described Adhikari's statement as "naked hate speech" and a call for ethnic cleansing, questioning why no legal action or UAPA charges had been initiated against him.

Adhikari led a five-member delegation to meet senior officials at the mission on Friday. Following the meeting, he claimed the diplomats had "no answer" to his queries regarding the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh.

"I asked them that if the former Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina granted asylum to Myanmar Rohingyas in Cox’ Bazar because they were Muslims, why are the Hindus being indiscriminately targeted? If they think two crore Hindus in that country will get constantly targeted and 100 crore Hindus on this side of the border will sit and watch silently, then they are grossly mistaken," Adhikari stated.

The BJP leader also criticized the Mamata Banerjee government for police action against protesters earlier in the week. Referring to the baton charge and arrest of 19 individuals who breached barricades on December 23, Adhikari said, "There is no difference between the police of Mumammad Yunus on that side of the border and those of Mamata Banerjee here."

Police presence was heavy around the commission on Friday, with bolted metal barricades turning the area into a fortress. Adhikari, accompanied by Hindu monks, threatened to return with a larger force during the upcoming Gangasagar Mela. "I will return with five lakh Hindu pilgrims of Gangasagar at the beginning of next year and uproot these barricades on our march to the high commission office," he warned.

The protests follow a surge in violence in Bangladesh since December 18, triggered by the killing of Osman Hadi, a leader of the July 2024 uprising. The unrest has included riots, arson, and attacks on minority communities.

Tensions escalated after the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old garment factory worker, whose body was hanged from a tree and burned publicly in Mymensingh district on December 18 following allegations of blasphemy. Additionally, on Christmas Eve, 29-year-old Amrit Mondal was beaten to death in Rajbari district, though Bangladeshi authorities claimed he was a "listed criminal" involved in an extortion clash.