India Receives Protest Note from Bangladesh Over Mamata Banerjee’s Comments
New Delhi [India], July 25: India has received a diplomatic note from Bangladesh protesting comments made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding the Bangladeshi students’ quota protests, which have resulted in over 100 deaths. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed the receipt of the note and reiterated that foreign affairs are the responsibility of the Indian government.
Earlier this week, Mamata Banerjee stated that her government would provide shelter to individuals from Bangladesh seeking refuge amidst the ongoing protests. She made these comments during the TMC’s Martyrs Day rally in Kolkata, urging people not to make negative comments on the Bangladesh issue.
The protests in Bangladesh erupted due to demands for reforming the quota system that reserves civil service jobs for specific groups, including descendants of 1971 war veterans. The unrest led to violence, attacks on state television headquarters, and police booths in Dhaka, prompting a curfew and nationwide suspensions of mobile and internet services.
Following the protests, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court reduced the quota reserved for relatives of war veterans from 30% to 5%, allowing 93% to be allocated based on merit and the remaining 2% for ethnic minorities, transgender individuals, and the disabled.
Doubts Revealed
diplomatic note -: A diplomatic note is a formal letter sent by one country to another to communicate official messages or concerns.
West Bengal -: West Bengal is a state in eastern India. Its capital is Kolkata.
Chief Minister -: A Chief Minister is the head of the government of an Indian state, similar to a Prime Minister but for a state.
Mamata Banerjee -: Mamata Banerjee is the Chief Minister of West Bengal. She is a politician and the leader of the Trinamool Congress party.
MEA -: MEA stands for the Ministry of External Affairs, which is the Indian government department responsible for managing India’s foreign relations.
Randhir Jaiswal -: Randhir Jaiswal is a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, meaning he communicates official information to the public and media.
civil service quota system -: The civil service quota system in Bangladesh reserves a certain number of government jobs for specific groups, like freedom fighters’ families, women, and ethnic minorities.