Govt should talk to Bangladesh, secure minorities’ lives, says Priyanka Gandhi – Times of India

New Delhi: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said the Modi govt should speak with Bangladesh and secure the lives of Hindus, Christians and other minorities who are facing atrocities there, even as she underlined that India fought the 1971 war for these very principles and in the face of the fact that no country came in support of India.
“There are atrocities happening against Hindus, Christians and minorities in Bangladesh. The war we fought in 1971 was a battle of principles, the principle of democracy that you fight against atrocities. Those principles have made India great, and the freedom struggle was also fought for these very principles. India was alone at that time and Indira Gandhi travelled around the world to seek support, but none came forward. Yet, our country, people and Army stood up,” Priyanka told reporters. She said Indira was a great martyr.
In Lok Sabha, she said, “The govt should raise the issue of atrocities on minorities, Hindus and Christians, in Bangladesh. Should discuss this with Bangladesh govt and support those who are in pain.”
Priyanka said she wanted to speak on Vijay Diwas in Lok Sabha, but received a message that she could not raise the matter as the govt would speak on the issue. She said the govt till then probably did not remember the occasion, and later, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey was given the chance to raise the matter.
“I wanted to pay tribute to those who fought the war and to the people who backed the Army. Also, I wanted to remember Indira Gandhi who had the capacity to take strong action. We fought and we won,” she said while speaking to reporters.
TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay questioned why the govt was not making a statement in wake of atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh. He demanded that the PM or the foreign minister speak on the issue.
On 1971, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge in RS said, “Our brave leader Ms Indira Gandhi divided Pakistan into two parts and created Bangladesh, taking one lakh prisoners of war and raised the prestige of the nation across the globe.”