Amid a massive row over the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das over a sedition charge, ISKCON Bangladesh distanced itself from the monk on Thursday, saying his “actions are not representative” of the religious body.
Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari, the general secretary of ISKCON Bangladesh, said the monk had been removed from all positions of the organisation due to a breach of discipline, reported The Dhaka Tribune.
Charu Chandra Das said ISKCON had no involvement in the activities of Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested earlier this month.
“Several months ago, Leelaraj Gour Das, head of Prabartak Sri Krishna Mandir, Gaurang Das, and Chinmoy Krishna Das, head of Sri Sri Pundarik Dham in Chittagong, were removed from their positions and all organizational activities within ISKCON due to violations of discipline. It was clearly stated that their actions are not representative of ISKCON,” he said today.
He also said the body wasn’t linked to the death of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif.
“There are ongoing attempts to wrongly associate ISKCON Bangladesh with the death of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif in Chittagong. We want to make it clear that Iskcon Bangladesh has no involvement in this tragic event or the ongoing protests. This false narrative has even escalated to the point where road accidents are being attributed to Iskcon,” he was quoted as saying by the Bangladeshi daily.
He said ISKCON Bangladesh has never been involved in communal or conflict-driven activities and only indulged in promoting unity and harmony.
His remarks came hours after the Dhaka high court dismissed a petition calling for a ban on ISKCON in Bangladesh.
Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested on Monday after a person named Md Feroze Khan filed a case against him and 18 others for hoisting a saffron flag above the Bangladesh national flag during a rally in October.
According to the Bangladesh Flag Rules, 1972, no other flag can be flown above the national flag.
India condemned Chinmoy Krishna Das’s arrest
India on Tuesday condemned the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das.
“We have noted with deep concern the arrest and denial of bail to Shri Chinmoy Krishna Das, who is also the spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote. This incident follows the multiple attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh. There are several documented cases of arson and looting of minorities’ homes and business establishments, as well as theft and vandalism and desecration of deities and temples,” the MEA statement said.
“It is unfortunate that while the perpetrators of these incidents remain at large, charges should be pressed against a religious leader presenting legitimate demands through peaceful gatherings. We also note with concern the attacks on minorities protesting peacefully against the arrest of Shri Das,” it added.
