New Delhi: Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, the Hindu religious leader at the centre of a contentious sedition case in Bangladesh, remains suspended from ISKCON and was barred from having contact with minors and holding kirtans, as per a report.
The Bangla Outlook news outlet reported that the international child protection office at ISKCON, which stands for the International Society of Krishna Consciousness, suspended Chinmoy Krishna in October last year and also restricted him from participating in public worship, among other things.
ISKCON child protection office director Kamalesh Krishna Das told Bangla Outlook that “due to the nature of the allegations, the suspension was necessary to facilitate the investigation”.
Das did not specify the allegations against Chinmoy Krishna, but ISKCON Bangladesh officials said at a press conference in Dhaka on Thursday (November 28) that he had been ‘expelled’ and alleged that he contravened orders to refrain from participating in the organisation’s activities after children made misconduct allegations against him, as per Prothom Alo.
The officials also said ISKCON would not bear responsibility over Chinmoy Krishna’s statements or speeches.
Progress in the investigation against Chinmoy Krishna “has been delayed by certain challenges, including his level of cooperation”, Bangla Outlook quoted Das as alleging.
On Friday, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said of Chinmoy Krishna’s arrest earlier this week that it expected the legal system in Bangladesh would deal with “cases against individuals” in a “in a just, fair and transparent manner” that respects their legal rights and those of “all those who are concerned”.
It also noted that ISKCON was a “globally well-regarded organisation with a strong record of social service”.
The MEA also registered concern “at the surge of extremist rhetoric” as well as the “increasing incidents of violence and provocation” against religious minorities in the country, adding to say that these developments could not be dismissed as “media exaggerations”.
Chinmoy Krishna was arrested in Dhaka on November 25 and ordered detained on sedition charges by a Chattogram court the next day.
His supporters gathered around the police van transporting him to jail, following which clashes erupted between them and police.
A Muslim lawyer identified as a prosecutor was killed amid the violence.
The charges allege that Chinmoy Krishna and others last month instigated a crowd to replace a Bangladeshi flag in Chattogram hoisted on the day former premier Sheikh Hasina fled the country with a saffron-coloured one of ISKCON’s, Prothom Alo reported.
The MEA, which previously issued a statement expressing “deep concern” at his detainment – to Dhaka’s chagrin – said on Friday that New Delhi had “consistently and strongly raised with the Bangladesh government the threats and targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities”.
“Our position on the matter is clear – the interim government must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities,” ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at the weekly media briefing.
Its references to “media exaggerations” follow statements from the interim government in Dhaka that reports of attacks on religious minorities in Bangladesh after Hasina’s ouster were being “exaggerated” in Indian circles.
External affairs minister S. Jaishankar said in a written statement in parliament on Friday that the Indian government had noted reports of violence against Hindus and attacks on temples occurring in Bangladesh around the time of Hasina’s ouster as well as during Durga Puja.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry issued a statement on Friday “strongly condemn[ing]” the burning in effigy by Hindu protesters of interim chief adviser Muhammad Yunus outside the country’s deputy high commission in Kolkata on Thursday.
It also condemned what it said was the burning of the Bangladeshi flag at the deputy high commission.
“Although the situation seems to be in control at the moment, there is a prevailing sense of insecurity among all the members of the deputy high commission,” the Bangladeshi foreign ministry said.
