Bangladesh Needs To Ascertain People’s Mandate By Holding Free Elections Soon: India

<p><strong>New Delhi:</strong> India on Thursday said it wants a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh and pitched for holding “inclusive, fair and free elections” in that country soon.</p>
<p>New Delhi’s comments came amid fresh protests in Dhaka by government employees and demands by various political parties to hold elections by the end of this year.</p>
<p>There have been reports that Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus has been trying to blame India for the fresh troubles in Dhaka.</p>
<p>”We want a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh, one that is anchored in meeting the aspirations and the interest of people of both sides,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.</p>
<p>”Bangladesh needs to ascertain the will and mandate of the people by holding an inclusive, fair and free elections at an early date,” he said at his weekly media briefing.</p>
<p>The MEA spokesperson was responding to questions on the evolving situation in Bangladesh.</p>
<p>Asked about Yunus’s reported comments against India, Jaiswal said it is the responsibility of the government in power to address governance-related issues.</p>
<p>”When statements of this sort come, it seems like you want to deflect in another direction from your own challenges related to governance there.” “And to blame others by saying that these extraneous issues caused by others are the reason for these problems… it does not solve the issue,” he said.</p>
<p>There has been a sharp downturn in India-Bangladesh relations after deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled Dhaka and took shelter in India in August last year in the face of a massive anti-government protest.</p>
<p>The relations nosedived dramatically after the interim government failed to contain attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in that country.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)</strong></p>