'No Violence, Lynching In India': Shashi Tharoor Flags Sharp Contrast With Bangladesh Protests

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday (December 24) drew a sharp distinction between protests in India and the escalating unrest in Bangladesh, asserting that democratic dissent in India has remained peaceful and within constitutional bounds, unlike the violent incidents reported across the border.

Speaking in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor said reactions in India to developments in Bangladesh were not unexpected, given the volatility and attacks on minorities there.

However, he emphasised that protests held in India have not descended into violence.

“In our democracy, they have a right to do so,” he said, adding that there had been “no violence, no lynching,” and that authorities were fully capable of intervening if any attempt was made to cross

the line.

Tharoor underlined that maintaining law and order is a non-negotiable responsibility of the state, noting that Indian law enforcement agencies would act decisively if required.

“Certainly any attempted violence will and should be clamped down upon by our police,” he said.

Contrasting this with the situation in Bangladesh, the Congress MP said expressions of regret or condemnation were insufficient in the face of mob violence and lawlessness.

Referring to the lynching of a Hindu factory worker accused of blasphemy, Tharoor described the incident as “truly an outrage” and stressed that the victim had been in police custody at the time.

“He should not have been handed over to the mob and lynched in this horrible way,” he said.

Tharoor warned that continued street violence, attacks near diplomatic establishments, and intimidation could severely undermine the environment needed for free and fair elections scheduled in the coming months.

“How can you have an election in less than two months in an atmosphere of lawlessness and intimidation, where the voters may not even feel safe?” he asked.

He called on the Bangladeshi authorities to take concrete steps to restore calm, stating that the responsibility lay squarely with the government.

“They have to take action because controlling the violence on the streets is their obligation as a government,” he said, adding that stronger measures may be necessary if policing alone proves inadequate.

“If the police can’t do it, send the army, but stop this nonsense.”

Addressing diplomatic tensions following protests outside Bangladeshi missions in India, Tharoor dismissed concerns of escalation, describing such exchanges as routine.

He noted that India had conveyed its concerns regarding attacks near its High Commission and Assistant High Commissions, while Bangladesh had responded by summoning India’s High Commissioner over protests in India.

“This kind of diplomatic tit-for-tat is not something that should worry us unduly,” he said.

Tharoor also rejected allegations linking India to political violence in Bangladesh, calling such claims “preposterous” and warning that such rhetoric only fuels hostility against minorities.

On former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Tharoor said India had acted in a humanitarian manner by allowing a long-standing ally to remain in the country while legal and treaty obligations are examined.

“When we are being hospitable to a good friend, I think we should just allow her to remain safely until and unless the government has studied all those things in much more detail,” he said.

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