Hindu outfit stages protest in Chennai, seeks ban on India-Bangladesh test series

Members of the Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) staged a protest on Thursday in Chennai, urging the Indian government and the cricket board to stop the ongoing India-Bangladesh Test series in the wake of violence against the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh. Bangladesh's Mehidy Hassan Miraz, centre, celebrates the wicket of India's KL Rahul with teammates on the first day of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Thursday, Sept.19, 2024.(AP)

Led by HMK chief Arjun Sampath, protesters raised slogans demanding protection for Bangladeshi Hindus and calling for the series to be “banned.” Sampath claimed that the Hindu population in Bangladesh has dramatically decreased from 26 per cent in 1971, when the country gained independence, to around 7 per cent today. He attributed this decline to alleged violence and oppression faced by the community, including the destruction of temples and attacks on Hindu women.

“Today, Hindu Makkal Katchi held a demonstration in front of MA Chidambaram Stadium, demanding the immediate cancellation of the cricket match with the Bangladesh team, which is ongoing. While thousands of Hindus have been rendered homeless and hundreds killed in Bangladesh, we urge immediate intervention (of ICC) to stop this game,” Sampath told reporters.

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The timing of the protest coincided with the first Test match of the two-match India-Bangladesh series, which began in Chennai on Thursday. The series is part of the World Test Championship (WTC), with crucial points at stake for both teams. India, leading the WTC table with 68.52 percentage points, faces a packed Test season, including home games against New Zealand and a major series against Australia later this year.

Bangladesh, fresh off a series win against Pakistan, currently sits in fourth place in the WTC rankings.

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Despite the cricketing stakes, the HMK protesters insisted that the series should be stopped to bring attention to the plight of Bangladeshi Hindus.

There have been rising concerns about attacks on the Hindu community in Bangladesh, especially following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government. Last month, thousands of Hindus protested in Dhaka and Chattogram, demanding protection. The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance reported that the Hindu community faced attacks in 278 locations across 48 districts since August.

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Shiv Sena (UBT) targets Centre

On Tuesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray questioned why the Indian government was "going soft" on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and allowing the Bangladesh cricket team to tour. In a social media post, Thackeray called on the Ministry of External Affairs to clarify whether Hindus in Bangladesh had indeed faced recent violence, as claimed by various reports.

"I wonder why those who have actively campaigned against this violence, don't speak to the @BCCI and ask questions? Or is it only about creating hate in India and election propaganda?" he wrote on X.

"Just keen to know from the Ministry of External Affairs, whether Hindus in Bangladesh faced violence in the past 2 months, as told to us by some media and social media? If yes, and hindus and other minorities faced violence, then why is the bjp run Government of India going so easy on the BCCI and allowing the tour? If no, then is the @MEAIndia ok with the constant social media and media stories about the violence in Bangladesh?" Thackeray, a former Maharashtra minister, further said.

With PTI inputs

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