Dhaka sent note objecting to Mamata’s ‘shelter’ remark: MEA

India has received a note from Dhaka conveying its objection to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks offering shelter to people affected by violent-clashes in that country, the External Affairs Ministry confirmed on Thursday (July 25).

Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, appearing to disapprove of Banerjee’s comments, said matters that bring “the Union into relation with any foreign country are the sole prerogative” of the central government.

Reports in Bangladesh media

In an address at a public event in Kolkata on July 21, Mamata, referring to violence-hit Bangladesh, said she would keep the doors of West Bengal open for people in distress from the neighbouring country and offer them shelter.

There were reports in the Bangladeshi media that said Dhaka has communicated to New Delhi through diplomatic channels its displeasure over the West Bengal chief minister’s comments.

MEA statement

“I can confirm that we have received such a communication from the Bangladesh side. It is essentially along the lines described in the reports,” Jaiswal said during his weekly media briefing while replying to a question.

“I would underline that under the Seventh schedule, List one, Union List, item 10 of our Constitution, the conduct of foreign affairs and all matters which bring the Union into relation with any foreign country, are the sole prerogative of the Union government,” he said.

What Mamata said

In her remarks on Sunday, Mamata also referred to the UN Resolution on refugees as the justification for her stand over the possible humanitarian crisis that may emerge on account of the severe law-and-order breakdown that gripped Bangladesh.

“I should not be speaking on the affairs of Bangladesh since that is a sovereign nation and whatever needs to be said on the issue is a subject matter of the Centre,” she said.

“But I can tell you this, if helpless people come knocking on the doors of Bengal, we will surely provide them shelter,” she said at the ‘Martyrs’ Day’ rally of the Trinamool Congress.

Bangladesh clashes

Bangladesh was reeling under deadly clashes with protesting students demanding the Sheikh Hasina-led government to scrap a controversial job quota system. Over 100 people were killed in the clashes that began weeks ago.

Law enforcement authorities in Bangladesh had imposed a nationwide curfew.

According to reports from Dhaka, the overall situation has improved in the country since Wednesday, after the supreme court in that country truncated the contentious quota drastically.

Maitree Express services remain suspended

The services of Maitree Express, connecting Kolkata with Bangladesh capital Dhaka, will continue to remain suspended on Saturday, the Eastern Railway said.

An ER official said in a statement on Thursday that as per “a message received from Bangladesh Railway”, the services of the Kolkata-Dhaka-Kolkata Maitree Express will remain suspended on Saturday.

The services of Maitree Express have remained suspended since July 19.

(With agency inputs)