The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Thursday that Bangladesh has officially objected to the recent comments made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the ongoing civil unrest in the neighbouring country.
"I can confirm that we have received a diplomatic note from the Bangladeshi side, protesting against the comments made by the Chief Minister of West Bengal," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday.
"I would like to underline that under the Seventh Schedule, Union List I, Item No. 10 of our Constitution, the conduct of foreign affairs and all matters which bring the Union into the relation with any foreign country are the sole prerogative of the Union government," he added.
Addressing the Martyrs' Day rally in Kolkata on July 21, Mamata Banerjee commented on the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh, saying that she would not hesitate to provide shelter to the "helpless people" coming from the neighbouring country and seeking refuge in West Bengal.
"There is a United Nations resolution that the neighbouring countries should show respect and accommodate refugees coming from regions under turmoil," the Trinamool Congress supremo said.
Reacting strongly, the Sheikh Hasina government termed the West Bengal CM's remarks "provocative" and "inaccurate", especially at a time when the local authorities were trying to normalise the tense situation there.
The MEA, meanwhile, termed the ongoing protests in Bangladesh an "internal matter" of the country and thanked the Bangladesh government for its "excellent cooperation" that has helped in the safe return of over 6,700 Indian students till now.
"We are aware of the situation in the country. We have been closely following the developments there. India considers the ongoing situation in the country to be an internal matter of Bangladesh. With the support and cooperation of the Bangladesh government, we were able to arrange for the safe return of our students which we deeply appreciate.
"We share warm and close ties and are hoping that the situation there will turn normal soon," the MEA spokesperson said.
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