BNP is trying to convince the Modi government it can do more for minorities, a Kolkata paper says
A Kolkata-based newspaper has claimed that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is trying to influence Delhi through the right wing group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ahead of the national election to negotiate for its support.
Anandabazar, a Bangla language paper, quoted unnamed diplomatic sources to report that a delegation of BNP met with RSS members at Nagpur in recent times.
It also claimed that Khaleda met a few RSS leaders during her last trip to London.
The BNP-Jamaat alliance is trying to send a message to the Modi government through RSS, asking the south block to compromise with BNP instead of focusing on the ruling Awami League, the paper said.
The message, according to Anandabazar, is that BNP always gives priority to business and if they go back to power, the country will open up further to Indian business.
According to the newspaper’s RSS sources, BNP leaders have expressed interest in reaching a consensus with Delhi. The alliance promised to be more focused on rights of minority groups if it comes to power. It claims that minority groups had faced more persecution under the Awami League regime than they did under BNP.
It is also offering to keep more than 50 minority leaders in parliament in the next election, far more than what Awami League has had in its parliament.
The paper said Indian Foreign Ministry and Bangladesh High Commission in India had refused to comment, as had BNP.
The Foreign Ministry’s official response was that India never interferes with internal matters of foreign nations. India maintains mutual understanding with the government of any particular country. Earlier when BNP was in power, India maintained friendly relation with them too.
However, sources in the ministry said Delhi is looking at BNP’s over-friendly attitude with suspicion.
The paper quoted Indian intelligence sources as saying that Khaled Zia was in touch with the Pakistan intelligence agency ISI constantly when she went to London for her dental treatment. Khaleda had multiple meetings with Pakistan High Commission officials in the trip.
Source: Dhaka Tribune.
