Bhubaneswar: Amidst the ongoing tension between India and Bangladesh over atrocities against Hindus and other minorities, there have been provocative statements made by some politicians from the neighbouring country.
A leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), whose chairperson is former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, said recently that Bangladesh has legitimate claims over Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.
Reacting sharply to that flagrant statement, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday took a dig at the Bangladeshi politicians. Mocking those who said that Bangladesh can lay claim to the eastern India states like Odisha, Bengal and Bihar, Mamata wondered whether Indians “would have lollipop” if external forces try to occupy our lands.
Speaking in the West Bengal Assembly, Mamata urged people to stay calm and not react to such provocative statements from Bangladesh. “Stay calm, stay healthy, and maintain peace of mind,” the West Bengal CM said, reiterating that her state will support any decision taken by the Indian government.
“In our state, even imams have condemned the comments and attacks on minorities in Bangladesh. The same blood flows in the veins of Hindus and Muslims and all other communities. We must all work together to ensure nothing is done to aggravate the situation in West Bengal,” she said.