Hindu man's lynching: Hundreds clash with police near Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi

New Delhi: Protests erupted in several parts of India following the lynching of a Hindu man in Bangladesh, with right-wing organisations staging demonstrations against the incident. On Tuesday, hundreds of VHP and Bajrang Dal activists breached barricades and clashed with police near the heavily secured Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, leading to chaotic scenes as security personnel struggled to control the crowd.

The high-security zone witnessed intensified police deployment from the morning in anticipation of the protest announced by Hindu right-wing groups. Authorities had erected seven layers of barricades and stationed police and paramilitary forces in large numbers to prevent any breach.

According to officials, around 1,500 police personnel were deployed ahead of the demonstration. Police managed to stop the protesters approximately 800 metres away from the High Commission, using DTC buses as physical barriers to block their advance.

The area was filled with banners and placards carrying strong messages against the Bangladesh government. One placard read: "Hindu rakt ki ek ek boond ka hisaab chahiye (Each drop of blood of a Hindu must be accounted for)."

Bangladesh Govt summons Indian High Commissioner
Amid these developments, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma was summoned on Tuesday to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs over concerns regarding the safety of Bangladeshi missions in India. Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam called Verma for discussions, Prothomalo.com reported.

Diplomatic sources confirmed that the meeting was convened in view of the evolving security situation around Bangladesh’s diplomatic missions in India, including those in New Delhi and Kolkata. Verma was asked to ensure enhanced security arrangements for these missions, reported PTI.

Factory worker’s death
On December 18, Dipu Chandra Das, a 25-year-old garment factory worker, was allegedly lynched by a mob in Baluka in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district over accusations of blasphemy. Police said Das was first assaulted outside the factory, then hanged from a tree. His body was later left near the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway and set ablaze.

What protesters say
“A Hindu man was brutally assaulted and killed. We request the government to take strict action against those who are behind the killing. We also demand that the Bangladesh police take strict action against those who are behind the killing,” a protester said.

Another demonstrator stated, “We in India consider every community as our brothers and sisters. Every Hindu in every country must be treated in the same way.”

Several protesters accused Bangladeshi authorities of failing to protect minorities and urged the Indian government to take firm diplomatic measures to ensure the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh.

“What can one do when the people in Bangladesh are keeping a jihadi mentality. Every single worker of VHP and Bajrang Dal stands in support of Hindu families in Bangladesh. We will cross all the barriers and will protest in front of the Bangladesh High Commission,” a protester told PTI as slogan-chanting intensified.

Some participants claimed the agitation would continue beyond a single day and warned of escalation if their demands were ignored.

Calling for Hindu unity, protester Sumit Kashyap said, “Hindu Ekta is important. Several Bangladeshis are staying in the national capital illegally. Not even a single person has ever been harmed. Every Indian loves peace and stays peacefully. But people in Bangladesh are killing our brothers now.”

Another demonstrator, Satish Gupta, said the protest was against a “terrorist mentality.”

“We are aware that many Bangladeshi people are hiding in our country, working in different households. Has even a single person faced any problem? We will never tolerate torture against any Indian in Bangladesh,” he said.

Protesters were seen chanting the Hanuman Chalisa and raising religious slogans, while police repeatedly urged them to remain calm and refrain from attempting to cross barricades. Minor scuffles broke out as demonstrators pressed against the police cordon.

A VHP leader asserted that the protest remained peaceful. “We demand proper protection of every single Hindu, compensation to the Hindu families, and proper rehabilitation for those families who were openly looted,” he saiHindu man's lynching: Hundreds clash with police near Bangladesh High Commission in Delhid.

“Every single VHP and Bajrang Dal worker is protesting peacefully. We will obey the permission rules given by the government. Not even a single VHP or Bajrang Dal worker will disobey the government's permission,” he added.