India Does Not Want Tension With Bangladesh: Rajnath Singh

Darwin,  08 November-

India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has urged Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, to be “careful with his choice of words,” while emphasizing that India does not seek tension with Bangladesh.

In an exclusive interview with Rahul Joshi, Group Editor of India’s Network18 media house, on Friday, Rajnath Singh addressed recent developments in India-Bangladesh relations.

“We do not want tension with Bangladesh,” Singh stated in response to a question about bilateral ties. “However, Yunus (Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus) should be cautious about his word choice,” he added.

He continued, “Let me also make one thing clear — India is capable of facing any challenge, but our primary goal remains to maintain good relations with our neighbors.”

Tensions between the Indian government and Professor Yunus’s interim administration have persisted since its formation following the July 2024 movement in Bangladesh. Recent events have further strained the relationship.

Dr. Yunus recently held meetings in Dhaka with Pakistan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, and a five-member Turkish parliamentary delegation led by MP Mehmet Akif Yılmaz. India currently maintains strained diplomatic ties with both Pakistan and Turkey.

During the meeting with the Turkish delegation earlier this week, Dr. Yunus presented each member with a book titled Art of Triumph, a collection of photographs and graffiti from the July–August 2024 movement in Bangladesh.

However, according to Indian media outlet News18, the book allegedly contains a controversial “Greater Bangladesh” map that includes India’s northeastern state of Assam within Bangladesh’s territory.

News18 also claimed that the publication includes sections outlining a supposed war plan for “capturing Assam” and details on how its administration would be managed afterward.

Source: Firstpost