Attempt to label ISKCON as 'radical organisation' baseless, says Vrajendra Nandan Das

Vrajendra Nandan Das

As the row over arrest and detention of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Hindu leader associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), intensifies, communication director, ISKCON, Vrajendra Nandan Das said it is baseless to label the institution as a "radical organisation".

"...If an institution like ISKCON is called a terrorist and radical organisation in Bangladesh, it's a baseless thing and a lie. No one - in India and around the world will accept this... Those devotees who organised Bhandara and fed needy people - were killed. I hope that the interim govt of Bangladesh will take strict action against the culprits and I expect them to give proper security to Hindus..." expressed the religious leader.

His comments came a day after the Bangladeshi government reportedly described the institution as a ‘religious fundamentalist organisation’. The move comes in response to a writ petition submitted to the High Court, seeking a ban on the group.

Additionally, the Attorney General of Bangladesh referred to Iskcon as a ‘religious fundamentalist organisation’ while addressing a query about the group’s origins in the country.

Earlier in the day, the Country's High Court left the 'final call' to ban ISKCON, to the Muhammad Yunus-led dispensation.

The court was hearing of a writ petition seeking a ban on ISKCON and the imposition of Section 144 in Chattogram and Rangpur to prevent potential unrest. The court instructed Attorney General Asaduzzaman to present the government’s stance by Thursday, according to the United News of Bangladesh (UNB).

Chinmoy Prabhu was arrested by Dhaka police on Monday at the airport as he was about to board a flight to Chittagong. He was subsequently brought before a Chattogram court on Tuesday in connection with a “sedition” case. The court rejected his bail plea and ordered judicial custody.