Purulia BJP Mahato said Muhammad Yunus, who was earlier hailed as a social reformer, has now become the “butcher of Hindus” in Bangladesh, and under his watch, “mass murders” of Bangladesh Hindus are being committed.
Bangladesh has witnessed widespread communal violence against minorities, especially Hindus since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime in August this year. The indiscriminate violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh has sparked protests in India, including West Bengal, with BJP MP Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato urging the Nobel Committee to “reassess the legacy” of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the leader of Bangladesh’s interim government.
In a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Mahato has urged the organization to reconsider the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus and address the ongoing violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. The Purulia MP highlight the “tragic irony” of of awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to figures “whose legacies have been stained by violence” and alleged complicity in human rights violations.
‘Butcher of Hindus’
The BJP leader alleged that under the leadership of Yunus, the minorities in Bangladesh, particularly Hindus, have suffered systemic persecution and atrocities, such as mass killings, destruction of homes and temples, and systematic rapes, which he described as part of a broader campaign of terror against the Hindu community. He further accused Bangladesh’s interim government of providing tacit support to these acts, allowing the perpetrators to operate with impunity.
Mahato said Muhammad Yunus , who was earlier hailed as a social reformer has now become the “butcher of Hindus” in Bangladesh, and under his watch, “mass murders” of Hindus are being committed. He alleged that the religious rights of Bangladeshi Hindus are being violated and their temples are being razed.
He also claimed the Muslim fundamentalists are collecting Jaziya tax from Hindus in lieu of worship.
‘Yunus’ legacy stained with violence, injustice’
The BJP MP’s letter detailed alleged incidents of suppression of religious rights, such as the disruption of Hindu festivals, including Durga Puja, through intimidation, bans, and extortion under the guise of “Jaziya demands”. Highlighting the “plight of Hindu leaders”, including ISKCON’s Chinmoy Krishna Das, who has been arrested under sedition charges, and was allegedly injured in targeted attacks, Mahato cited deposed PM Sheikh Hasina, referring to Yunus as the “mastermind” behind the mass killings of Hindus, further implicating him in these alleged crimes.
The BJP leader called upon the Nobel Committee to rescind the Nobel Peace Prize conferred on Muhammad Yunus, urging the body to publicly condemn the atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh, stating that silence would amount to complicity. Mahato also called for a reassessment of the criteria for future laureates, suggesting mechanisms to ensure that recipients of the prize uphold ethical standards throughout their lives.
“The Nobel Peace Prize should not serve as a shield for individuals whose actions perpetuate violence and discrimination,” he wrote, expressing hope that the committee would address these issues to uphold the integrity of the prize
Will Muhammad Yunus’ Nobel Prize be rescinded?
Till date, there is no precedent of a Nobel Prize being withdrawn from any winner. As per Section 10 of the Nobel Foundation’s statute, no appeal can be made against the decision to award the prize. None of the prize-giving committees in Stockholm and Oslo have ever considered cancelling the award.