New Delhi. India on Thursday confirmed that it has received a letter from Bangladesh objecting to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks about giving ‘shelter’ to violence-affected people. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal rejected Banerjee’s comments and said that the matter of relations with a foreign country is the sole prerogative of the central government.
Banerjee, in her address at a public event in Kolkata, had referred to violence-hit Bangladesh and said that she would keep West Bengal’s doors open for people in distress from the neighbouring country and provide them shelter. There were reports in the Bangladeshi media that Dhaka has conveyed its displeasure over the West Bengal chief minister’s remarks to New Delhi through diplomatic channels.
Responding to a question during his weekly press conference, Jaiswal said, “I can confirm that we have received such a message from Bangladesh.” He said, “I would like to emphasize that the matter of foreign relations is the sole prerogative of the Union Government under the Seventh Schedule – List One – Union List – Item 10 of our Constitution.” Banerjee, in her statement on Sunday, cited the UN resolution on refugees to justify her stand on the potential humanitarian crisis.
She had said, “I should not speak on the affairs of Bangladesh because it is a sovereign nation and whatever should be said on this issue is a matter of the Centre. But I can tell you that if people in distress knock on the doors of Bengal, we will definitely give them shelter.” Banerjee had said, “This is because there is a resolution of the United Nations to accommodate refugees in areas around the disturbed areas.”
Students demonstrated in Bangladesh demanding reforms in the reservation system in government jobs. The protesters are demanding the abolition of the system of giving up to 30 percent reservation in government jobs to the relatives of former soldiers who fought in the Bangladesh Liberation War. More than 100 people were killed in the clashes that began a few weeks ago. Law enforcement officials in Bangladesh imposed a nationwide curfew. According to reports received from Dhaka, the overall situation in the country has improved somewhat since Wednesday.