Riyad
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2015
- Messages
- 1,525
- Reaction score
- -5
- Country
- Location
BJP fully supports Awami League, lauds Hasina’s way of safeguarding democracy in Bangladesh
Senior Correspondent, bdnews24.com
Published: 2016-03-04 22:10:30.0 BdST Updated: 2016-03-04 23:43:40.0 BdST
Ram Madhav, on his first-ever visit to Bangladesh, said they were “whole-hearted” in their support to Prime Minister Hasina’s “endeavour to uphold democracy in this country”.
He also criticised enforcement of general strikes and violence in the name of democracy.
The BJP leader did not mention any specific political events in Bangladesh. But it was obvious that he was referring to the events surrounding the last general elections in 2014 that the opposition BNP boycotted.
India’s then Congress-led government had supported that election for its “constitutional necessity” when the Western countries were bitterly criticising the Awami League government.
The BNP-led alliance had also enforced violent strikes following the elections that witnessed arson attacks on buses and public property.
“I can understand the kind of challenges she faced – challenges to democracy. The way Madam Prime Minister is handling the situation and trying hard to protect the democratic institutions is quite laudable,” he said.
Madhav, also a director of India Foundation, a BJP-aligned think-tank, was speaking at the inauguration of India-Bangladesh dialogue jointly organised by ‘Friends of Bangladesh’, and the Bangladesh foreign ministry.
The dialogue, seventh of its kind, came on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bangladesh visit last year when both he and Hasina issued a joint declaration to give a new beginning of the relations.
Madhav, who came to attend the dialogue with a high-profile delegation comprising experts, former diplomats, political leaders, journalists and activists, said he was here to reiterate the motto of the declaration.
He spoke on almost all aspects of India-Bangladesh relations and said India is “not big brother” to its “special neighbour” Bangladesh. “We are partners”.
He said democracy is also the answer to all problems between India and Bangladesh, the two big democracies.
“This (with Bangladesh) relationship is very important to India. We are two big democracies of this region.”
Madhav said democracy extended freedom. “We have to cherish those freedom, protect those freedoms.
“Every freedom ends where the other man’s nose begins. My freedom is where the other man’s nose begins.
“Our freedom is not absolute. Our freedom is a freedom within the framework of the constitution."
The BJP leader said both countries had very good and well-written constitutions that “we have to uphold”.
“It does not give us the licence to say we will destroy the Constitution, we will destroy democracy.
“It does not give us permission to burn buses, burn public property, or unleash any violence,” he said.
“Peace is the absolute necessity for protecting our democracy.
“We are fully with you (the government) in this effort to uphold the democratic institutions in Bangladesh," he continued.
“We are committed to protecting our democratic system and constitutional values in India.
“Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Modi and under the progressive leadership of Sheikh Hasina we have started a new course of relations."
http://bdnews24.com/politics/2016/0...s-way-of-safeguarding-democracy-in-bangladesh
Senior Correspondent, bdnews24.com
Published: 2016-03-04 22:10:30.0 BdST Updated: 2016-03-04 23:43:40.0 BdST
Ram Madhav, on his first-ever visit to Bangladesh, said they were “whole-hearted” in their support to Prime Minister Hasina’s “endeavour to uphold democracy in this country”.
He also criticised enforcement of general strikes and violence in the name of democracy.
The BJP leader did not mention any specific political events in Bangladesh. But it was obvious that he was referring to the events surrounding the last general elections in 2014 that the opposition BNP boycotted.
India’s then Congress-led government had supported that election for its “constitutional necessity” when the Western countries were bitterly criticising the Awami League government.
The BNP-led alliance had also enforced violent strikes following the elections that witnessed arson attacks on buses and public property.
“I can understand the kind of challenges she faced – challenges to democracy. The way Madam Prime Minister is handling the situation and trying hard to protect the democratic institutions is quite laudable,” he said.
Madhav, also a director of India Foundation, a BJP-aligned think-tank, was speaking at the inauguration of India-Bangladesh dialogue jointly organised by ‘Friends of Bangladesh’, and the Bangladesh foreign ministry.
The dialogue, seventh of its kind, came on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bangladesh visit last year when both he and Hasina issued a joint declaration to give a new beginning of the relations.
Madhav, who came to attend the dialogue with a high-profile delegation comprising experts, former diplomats, political leaders, journalists and activists, said he was here to reiterate the motto of the declaration.
He spoke on almost all aspects of India-Bangladesh relations and said India is “not big brother” to its “special neighbour” Bangladesh. “We are partners”.
He said democracy is also the answer to all problems between India and Bangladesh, the two big democracies.
“This (with Bangladesh) relationship is very important to India. We are two big democracies of this region.”
Madhav said democracy extended freedom. “We have to cherish those freedom, protect those freedoms.
“Every freedom ends where the other man’s nose begins. My freedom is where the other man’s nose begins.
“Our freedom is not absolute. Our freedom is a freedom within the framework of the constitution."
The BJP leader said both countries had very good and well-written constitutions that “we have to uphold”.
“It does not give us the licence to say we will destroy the Constitution, we will destroy democracy.
“It does not give us permission to burn buses, burn public property, or unleash any violence,” he said.
“Peace is the absolute necessity for protecting our democracy.
“We are fully with you (the government) in this effort to uphold the democratic institutions in Bangladesh," he continued.
“We are committed to protecting our democratic system and constitutional values in India.
“Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Modi and under the progressive leadership of Sheikh Hasina we have started a new course of relations."
http://bdnews24.com/politics/2016/0...s-way-of-safeguarding-democracy-in-bangladesh
