ISKCON authorities in Kolkata sought UN involvement on Saturday, a day after a mob killed three people, including two devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), and vandalized their temple in Noakhali, Bangladesh.
“We call to the United Nations to condemn this cycle of violence against Bangladesh’s Hindus and other minorities promptly and to send a mission to Bangladesh,” ISKON officials in Kolkata wrote to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday.
Following the attack, officials called Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence late on Friday night.
On Friday, about 8:00 p.m., we called the Prime Minister’s residence to request his involvement. “The employee who answered the phone stated the PM would be notified,” Radharamn Das, vice present of ISKCON, Kolkata, said.
Around 2 p.m. on Friday, a 500-strong mob vandalized a Durga Puja pandal adjacent to the ISKCON temple in Noakhali, Bangladesh, according to ISKON officials. They then attacked the ISKCON temple’s worshipers. The idol of ISKCON’s founder, Srila Prabhupada, was desecrated, books were set ablaze, and the temple was vandalized.
At least three persons were killed, including Jatan Kumar Saha and Partha Das, two of our devotees. A total of 20 persons were hurt. “Some are critical, and they’re fighting for their lives,” Das explained.
Earlier on Wednesday, mobs vandalized Durga Puja pandals and temples across Bangladesh after social media posts about the purported sacrilege of the Quran at a pandal in Cumilla district.
On Thursday, the Indian government stated that it was in close contact with Bangladeshi authorities regarding the attacks in the neighboring nation, but that celebrations were continuing with the government’s and people’s support.
“Serious claims of vandalism of Durga Puja pandals have flooded in from Bangladesh,” Trinamool Congress (TMC) West Bengal general secretary and spokesperson Kunal Ghosh stated in response to the reports of the violence on Wednesday.
“This is concerning. It should be looked into. If the allegations are proven to be genuine, the Bangladesh government should take action, according to Ghosh.
Samik Bhattacharya, a spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, has accused the Sheikh Hasina government of passivity. “In the last several months, such atrocities against Hindus have become more common. “The government was a silent observer,” Bhattacharya remarked.
