Author:
Publication: The Times of India
Date: January 30, 2003
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) international
general secretary Pravin Togadia has advised the Union government to attack
Bangladesh and annex three of its districts "if the policy of ethnic cleansing
against Bangladeshi Hindus and Buddhist Chakmas continues".
Addressing a press conference here
on Wednesday, Mr Togadia said that the contiguous belt consisting Khulna,
Mymensing and Chittagong districts should be occupied by India and used
for rehabilitating Hindus and Buddhists who fled Bangladesh due to persecution.
Recalling that India's first home
minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had threatened to carve out a territory
from the then East Pakistan if the persecution of Hindus continued, Mr
Togadia said, Hindus in Bangladesh were safe till the Khalida Zia regime
came to power. As fundamentalist elements were included in this government,
the persecution restarted. "Lakhs of Hindus and Buddhists have entered
West Bengal in recent months," he said.
