VHP urges Centre to protect Hindus in Bangladesh, prevent 'jihadis' from entering India

Bhopal: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Thursday appealed to the Centre to protect Hindus in violence-hit Bangladesh amid the unrest there, and ensure "jihadis" under the garb of refugees do not sneak into India from there.

At least 232 persons have been killed in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the government led by Sheikh Hasina on Monday, according to a media report on Thursday, taking the death toll to 560 since the anti-quota protests first started in mid-July.

Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled the country after weeks of tumultuous student protests against her regime. She flew to the Hindon air base, near Delhi, in a Bangladesh military aircraft on Monday.

"We request the Centre to take all possible steps to protect Hindus in Bangladesh who are being persecuted and their houses and places of worship being vandalised. We demand from the Centre to protect Hindus who are the soft target in the neighbouring country," VHP Madhya Bharat prant mantri (secretary) Rajesh Jain told reporters here.

"The Centre should also ensure that jihadis under the garb of refugees from that nation don't sneak through our border with nefarious design," he added.

Each and every activist of the VHP and Bajrang Dal is ready to stand by the Army and the Border Security Force to guard the borders with Bangladesh, he said.

"If the Centre asks us, we are ready to lend support to the security forces on borders with the trouble-torn Bangladesh," Jain said.

"The number of Hindus at the time of partition were 32 per cent which has nosedived to just 8 per cent in Bangladesh due to the jihadis' persecution and riots there," he claimed.

Information of strife, violence is trickling in from almost all districts of the neighbouring country, he said.

"The bigots were targeting crematoriums and damaging temples and houses," the VHP leader claimed.

Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his pioneering work on microlending, was designated head of the interim government in Bangladesh after President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved parliament on Tuesday.

Yunus on Thursday promised to deliver a government which assures safety to its citizens.

VHP's Madhya Bharat Prant comprises Bhopal and Gwalior divisions of MP. Its Madhya Kshetra consists of Bhopal, Malwa and Mahakoshal prants (regions) of MP and the state of Chhattisgarh.