New Delhi: The situation turned tense outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Tuesday as hundreds of supporters of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal staged a demonstration against the lynching of a Hindu youth in Bangladesh.
Carrying saffron flags and banners, the protesters broke through barricades and clashed with police. Around 15,000 police personnel were deployed to secure the high commission. Authorities used Delhi Transport Corporation buses and three layers of barricading to stop the protesters nearly 800 metres away from the mission.
The demonstrators raised slogans against the Bangladesh government and demanded justice for alleged atrocities against Hindus. Several placards were displayed, including one that read, “Hindu rakt ki ek-ek drop ka hisaab chahiye” (Every drop of Hindu blood should be accounted for).
The protest was linked to an incident reported from Mymensingh in Bangladesh on December 18, where a 25-year-old garment factory worker, Dipu Chandra Das, was allegedly lynched by a mob over accusations of sacrilege.
According to reports, the mob beat Das severely, hung him from a tree and later set his body on fire. Protesters in New Delhi demanded that the Indian government intervene and put pressure on the Bangladesh government to take strict action against those responsible.
Addressing the gathering, VHP leaders said that Hindus should be treated with respect in every country and those involved in the killing should be punished severely.
