Shashi Tharoor backs Indian govt's decision to host 'good friend' Hasina
Tharoor noted that while Indian groups have a right to protest in a democracy, those demonstrations remained peaceful
Senior Indian opposition leader and Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor has defended the Indian government's decision to allow ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina to remain in the country, stating that New Delhi acted in the "right humanitarian spirit" by providing refuge to a long-standing ally.
"India has acted in the right humanitarian spirit not to force somebody back who has been a good friend of India for many years," Tharoor told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram yesterday (24 December).
Addressing calls for Hasina's return to face trial in Bangladesh, the Congress leader noted that extradition is a complex legal matter governed by treaties and specific exceptions that few fully grasp.
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"A very small number of people understand the legal issues, the extradition treaty, the obligations of the treaty, and the exceptions within the treaty. I would leave it to the [Indian] government to do the appropriate consideration," Tharoor said.
He urged patience, suggesting that India should continue to host her "safely" until the government completes a detailed study of the legal and diplomatic implications.
Commenting on the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh, Tharoor expressed concern over the safety of voters and the general law-and-order situation. He emphasised that it is the obligation of the interim government to move beyond "condemnation" and take concrete action to restore calm on the streets.
"How can you have an election in less than two months' time in an atmosphere of lawlessness and intimidation, where the voters may not even feel safe?" he questioned.
He contrasted the situation with recent protests in India, which erupted in several cities — including New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Jammu, Agartala and Bhopal — following the mob lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu garment worker in Mymensingh.
Tharoor noted that while Indian groups have a right to protest in a democracy, those demonstrations remained peaceful. "There has been no violence, no lynching…What we want to see is for the Bangladeshis to do the same thing," he added.
