“We’re nonetheless scared. By means of you, we request your (Indian) authorities to assist us. Our (Bangladesh) PM can also be attempting to assist us. We request each the PMs to assist us,” ISKCON medical officer Rasmani Keshavdas instructed an Indian information company on Saturday.
Keshavdas, who can also be an eyewitness to the assault, stated one Haji Shafiullah had been threatening them for years to go away the temple premises. “He had provided us cash too. Certainly one of his males, Ishraf Sufi, had even given us life threats,” Keshavdas instructed information company ANI, including the 2 led the mob of 500-600 individuals on Thursday night time and vandalised the boundary wall of the temple.
In accordance with ISKCON, the property is a ten-minute stroll from their predominant temple in Dhaka. “The lads tried to forcibly occupy a parcel of land owned by ISKCON Bangladesh, adjoining to the smaller temple on Lalmohan Saha Road. We have been utilizing the land for storage and plan to develop it sooner or later,” a report by the worldwide society quoted Jagatguru Gauranga dasa, ISKCON co-regional secretary for Bangladesh.
It added that the lads confirmed up with three giant vehicles and started looting the property. “Native police have been referred to as and confirmed up about half-hour later.”
Keshavdas added two members (not three as reported on Friday) have been hit once they tried to cease the mob. “They continued vandalising the wall even after the police got here. The goons are nonetheless threatening us with dire penalties if we meet somebody for assist,” stated Keshavdas, alleging that the lads had assist from the native police who haven’t arrested anybody but.
“The police do not need to hearken to us. They’ve requested us to go away the temple premises however it’s ours,” stated the ISKCON member, including they got little safety after the grievance on Thursday night time. “Proper now, 10 police personnel are deployed right here.”
The 2 injured have been admitted to a hospital the place their situation was reported to be “barely higher”.
VHP, RSS condemn temple assault
In the meantime, condemning the assault on the ISKCON temple in Dhaka, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has referred to as on the Bangladeshi authorities to take measures to make sure the security of the minority Hindus within the nation.
The VHP has additionally urged the Authorities of India to take cognisance of the incident.
“The assault on the ISKCON temple in Dhaka on the eve of Holi could be very worrying, condemnable and exposes the true colors of the claims of human rights abuses and Islamophobia,” the VHP stated in a Hindi tweeted, taking a dig on the United Nations Common Meeting adopting the decision to mark March 15 because the Worldwide Day to Fight Islamophobia.
ढाका में होली की पूर्व संध्या पर इस्कॉन मंदिर पर हमला बेहद चिंताजनक, निंदनीय व मानवाधिकारवादियों के साथ इस्लामोफोबि… https://t.co/boPaLxcHQh
— Vishva Hindu Parishad -VHP (@VHPDigital) 1647658327000
RSS nationwide government member Indresh Kumar on Saturday urged India to intervene within the matter, saying the Sheikh Hasina authorities has “utterly failed” in defending the minority Hindus there.
He additionally appealed to the Congress and all different opposition events to sentence the incident rising above “politics of faith and caste” and be a part of New Delhi in constructing strain on Dhaka to cease assaults on Hindus, which he stated continues to stay “unabated” within the neighbouring nation.
Kumar, founder and chief patron of Muslim Rashtriya Manch, additionally referred to as upon the “Muslim society” to sentence the assault.
The Excessive Fee of India is in contact with the Bangladeshi authorities following the incident.
The temple assault on the eve of Holi happened months after a collection of assaults on Durga Puja pandals and one other ISKCON temple in Bangladesh final October.
(with inputs from businesses)