Mamata Banerjee's "Shelter" Comment Draws Protest From Bangladesh: Sources

Bangladesh has raised strong objections to Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's comments on its internal affairs with the High Commission of India, sources said. Dhaka has contended that Ms Banerjee's comments over the weekend were provocative and had inaccuracies concerning the internal affairs of Bangladesh, sources said.

Dhaka further said they were trying to bring normalcy, and such remarks (particularly on the deaths of students) by the Chief Minister was misleading.

Amid the ongoing  violence in Bangladesh, Ms Banerjee, in a show of solidarity, had suggested that she would keep the doors of her state open and offer shelter to people in distress from the neighbouring country.

She referred to the United Nations Resolution on refugees as justification for her stand.

"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. But I can tell you this, if helpless people come knocking on the doors of Bengal, we will surely provide them shelter," she had said at her party's "Martyrs Day" rally in Kolkata.

Sources said Dhaka had pointed out that the situation Ms Banerjee mentioned in context of the United Nations Resolution, does not prevail in Bangladesh.

Further, it said such comments, in particular the assurance of giving refuge to people, may provoke many. Terrorists and miscreants could also take advantage of such an announcement.

More than 60 people have died in Bangladesh as student protests over reservation in government jobs turned violent. Hundreds of Indian students from Bangladesh returned as the violence took a turn for the worse. On Friday, the Bangladesh government imposed overnight curfew.  

At least eight districts were hit by violence, with the students blocking roads and railway lines and clashing with the police.