New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at an-all party meeting as to whether foreign forces, specifically Pakistan, might have been involved in the developments in Bangladesh, sources said.
He also asked about the government’s strategy going forward in dealing with the crisis in the neighbouring country, the Congress sources said.
Jaishankar told the all-party meeting that India has assured help to former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who arrived here on Monday evening, and given her time to decide the future course of action.
Replying to questions from various leaders, including Gandhi, the minister did not rule out the role of foreign governments in the unrest in Bangladesh but emphasised that the situation was too fluid, and the Indian government has been keeping a watch on the evolving situation, they said.
At the meeting, Gandhi asked if foreign governments, specifically Pakistan, might be involved in fuelling the crisis there, the Congress sources said.
The former Congress chief conveyed his full cooperation to the government on the issue.
Gandhi also expressed concern over the status of minorities in that country, they said.
Hasina, who ruled the South Asian country with an iron fist for 15 years, resigned as the prime minister on Monday following massive protests that initially began as an agitation against a job quota scheme but weeks later morphed into a mass movement demanding her ouster from power.
The all-party meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister J P Nadda, JD(U) leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’, JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, DMK leader T R Baalu, SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, Trinamool leader Sudip Bandypapdhyay, NCP leader Supriya Sule among others.
