India says Modi, Biden discussed Bangladesh situation during phone call

India on Friday reacted to the lack of reference to Bangladesh in a US readout of a phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden, saying that the situation in the neighbouring country was "discussed substantially" by the two leaders.

Media reports had noted that the US readout of the phone conversation on August 26 made no reference whatsoever to the situation in Bangladesh. The Indian external affairs ministry's statement on the same phone call said the two leaders expressed their "shared concern" on the situation in Bangladesh and emphasised the need to restore law and order and ensure the security of minorities, particularly Hindus.

When Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was asked about this issue at a regular media briefing, he said, "The subject of Bangladesh, which has been highlighted by certain quarters, was very much discussed substantially by both the leaders."

Claims that the issue of Bangladesh hadn't figured in the phone call are "uninformed, tendentious, and motivated and betray a total lack of familiarity with the process of how such contacts between leaders are organised and then followed up on," he said.

Jaiswal pointed out that press releases issued after such conversations between leaders are unlike joint statements, "where every word is negotiated and mutually agreed upon". These press releases are "not meant to be comprehensive readouts of such conversations", he said.

"Finally, it is not unusual for two sides to emphasise different aspects of the same conversation in their respective readouts," Jaiswal said.

The "absence of an aspect in one press release or the other is not evidence of its absence in the conversation", he added.

"I am very much aware of the contents of the conversation between the prime minister and the president, and I can tell you that our press release is an accurate and faithful record of what transpired in the conversation," the MEA spokesperson said.

The Indian government has been highlighting the need to ensure the safety and security of Bangladesh's minorities, especially Hindus, since the government of former premier Sheikh Hasina was ousted on August 5 following weeks of student-led protests.

Bangladesh's interim government has said it is committed to protecting the rights and safety of all citizens, including minorities, and described reports in the Indian media on attacks on Hindus as "exaggerated".