"What kind of India do we want?": Pawan Khera flags minority safety as Bangladesh violence, Christmas incidents stir debate

New Delhi [India], December 26 (ANI): Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera has raised sharp concerns over the safety of minorities and the erosion of communal harmony, linking recent violence against Hindus in Bangladesh with incidents targeting Christians in India during Christmas celebrations.
Questioning the direction India was heading towards, Khera asked whether the country risked mirroring the situation in Bangladesh, where minorities have faced mob violence. "Do we want India to become like Bangladesh? Because atrocities are committed against minorities there, will we also commit atrocities against minorities here? What kind of India do we want?" he said to ANI.
Khera condemned what he described as provocative religious conduct, arguing that faith should not be used to intimidate or target others. "Celebrate your festivals, but what is the need to go and dance outside a mosque on Hanuman Jayanti playing provocative songs? Recite the Hanuman Chalisa. I also recite it twice a day," he said. "But if it's Christmas, what do you want to prove by going outside their Church and reciting the Hanuman Chalisa? This cannot be my religion. Neither is this my country nor my civilisation," he added.
His remarks come against the backdrop of multiple reports of Christians allegedly being targeted by Hindu outfits during Christmas in several parts of India. In Assam, miscreants vandalised religious symbols and festive decorations at St Mary's English School in Nalbari district ahead of Christmas. Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh condemned the incident, accusing right-wing organisations such as the Bajrang Dal of targeting other religions and acting contrary to constitutional values.
The domestic incidents coincided with rising anger in India over violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. According to Bangladeshi daily The Daily Star, a Hindu man, Amrit Mondal alias Samrat, was beaten to death by a mob in Rajbari district over an alleged extortion attempt. Earlier, factory worker Dipu Chandra Das was lynched in Mymensingh district, triggering widespread criticism and protests.
The developments prompted India to summon the Bangladesh High Commissioner for the second time in a week, reflecting strain in bilateral ties amid concerns over minority safety.
Protests erupted across India, including in New Delhi, Noida and Kolkata, with Hindu organisations demonstrating against the violence in Bangladesh. Some protests turned tense, with police resorting to detentions and lathi charges to maintain order near Bangladeshi diplomatic missions. (ANI)