Congress leader Salman Khurshid stated on Tuesday that what is currently happening in Bangladesh could also happen in India. Despite everything seeming normal, there are underlying issues. The former Union Minister was speaking at the launch of academic Mujibur Rahman's book 'Shikwa-e-Hind: The Political Future of Indian Muslims'.
He remarked, "Things may appear normal in Kashmir. Everything might seem normal here. We are celebrating victories, although some believe that the triumph in 2024 might be a modest one, with much more yet to be achieved."
According to PTI news agency, the former Foreign Minister said, "What is happening in Bangladesh can also happen here. The dissemination mechanisms in our country prevent things from spreading the way they have in Bangladesh."
'Temples are being destroyed, Hindus targeted, we must unite and fight,' says CM Yogi on Bangladesh situation
Sheikh Hasina compelled to leave Bangladesh
In July, Bangladesh was rocked by a wave of violent anti-government protests, leading to the resignation and flight of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Currently, she is in India and preparing to seek asylum in another country.
RJD MP Manoj Jha on Shaheen Bagh
At the same event, RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha spoke about the Shaheen Bagh movement against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), expressing that it has not been given due credit. Jha remarked, "The success of Shaheen Bagh should not be measured merely by its achievements. Remember what Shaheen Bagh protests symbolized... when Parliament failed, the streets came alive."
Salman Khurshid on Shaheen Bagh
In South-East Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, women led protests against the CAA which continued for nearly 100 days and inspired similar demonstrations across the country. Manoj Jha believes the Shaheen Bagh movement was successful, whereas Salman Khurshid suggests it failed because many of the protesters are still imprisoned. Khurshid added that another Shaheen Bagh-like movement might not happen today.
Khurshid stated, "Would it upset you if I said Shaheen Bagh was a failure? Many of us believe it was successful, but I know what has happened to those associated with Shaheen Bagh. How many of them are still in jail? How many haven't been granted bail? How many of them are called enemies of the state?"
He continued, "If I ask myself tomorrow if there could be another Shaheen Bagh and I am unsure, because people have really suffered."
Owaisi questions what if opposition parties were in power...
In this event, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi lamented the low representation of Muslims in legislatures and parliaments and questioned whether the situation would have changed if the opposition were in power. He said, "The truth is Muslims never voted for right-wing candidates or BJP. If there was a non-BJP government, would things be different? No."
Talking about the rise of Hindu right-wing, Owaisi mentioned, "Hitler did not invent anti-Semitism. It existed before him. Similarly, there were underlying feelings in our society."
He said, "We call Atal Bihari Vajpayee a moderate. The fact is Vajpayee and Advani were preparing the ground for the arrival of such individuals."
Tharoor emphasizes protesters from all religions
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor stated he was one of the first MPs to meet with Shaheen Bagh protesters, who were not just Muslims but included people of all religions. He said, "Throughout the country, including the seven protests I attended, people of all religions participated."
