Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 20 : Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi on Saturday condemned the lynching of a Hindu youth in Bangladesh, stressing that if someone does something wrong to anyone, they should be punished severely.
However, Azmi also demanded justice for minorities in India, alleging that Muslims who fought for freedom are now being called "Traitors".
Speaking to reporters, Abu Azmi said, "Whether it's a Hindu or a Muslim, if someone does something wrong to anyone, they should be punished severely... wherever it happens, to whomever it happens, we should condemn it, but shouldn't I first condemn what's happening in my own country? In my country, those for whom Muslims fought for freedom and who have never betrayed the country, are now being called traitors... What kind of justice is this?"
Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor raised his voice against the mob lynching of a Hindu man, named Dipu Chandra Das, in Bangladesh over alleged blasphemy.
In a post on X, Tharoor wrote, "An unbearably tragic incident amid the mob rule that is raging across Bangladesh. While mourning the loss of this poor Hindu man at the hands of unspeakable criminals, I appreciate the condemnation issued by the Government of Bangladesh..."
The Bangladeshi interim government also condemned the incident.
"We wholeheartedly condemn the lynching of a Hindu man in Mymensingh. There is no space for such violence in the new Bangladesh. The perpetrators of this heinous crime will not be spared," the interim government said in a statement.
The condemnation of the Mymensingh lynching came as the Bangladesh interim government led by Muhammad Yunus on Friday issued its first detailed response to the broader unrest in the country, urging citizens to resist acts of mob violence.
The appeals from both the interim government and minority rights groups come against the backdrop of escalating unrest following the death of Inqilab Moncho leader Sharif Osman bin Hadi.
Meanwhile, Abu Azmi also slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for allegedly attempting to remove a woman's hijab during a public event went viral on social media.
Abu Azmi further said, "What he did is absolutely wrong. I strongly condemn it. A man holding the position of Chief Minister is doing this; a case should be filed against him."
The CM's act has drawn sharp reactions from students, college authorities and political leaders across the country.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti on Friday lodged a police complaint against CM Nitish Kumar for pulling down the veil from a woman doctor's face.