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Ex-Pak cricketer's ‘deep state’ theory as Bangladeshi Hindu singer's house burnt amid unrest in Dhaka
Danish Kaneria, a Hindu, reacts to the burning by a mob of the house of Rahul Ananda, a minority community singer from Bangladesh.
Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria, a Hindu, lashed out at the ‘deep state’ after the house of Bangladeshi singer Rahul Ananda, also a Hindu, was burnt amid the ongoing unrest in Dhaka.
According to Kaneria, the attack was a ‘deliberate assault by the deep state’ to ‘undermine’ India's ‘friendly policies’ vis-a-vis Bangladesh.
“Shocking news about the attack on Rahul Ananda. This was not a student protest but a deliberate assault on our Hindu community, sponsored by a deep state aiming to undermine India's Bangladesh-friendly policies. Shameful!” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Ananda, his wife, and their son, manage to escape unharmed, reports said, adding, however, that the mob stole valuable items from and destroyed the home. The stolen items include the singer's extensive collection of more than 3000 handmade musical instruments.
“They (attackers) took everything, from furniture and mirrors to valuables. After that, they torched whole house along with Rahul da's musical instruments,” a family source told The Daily Star, the leading English language newspaper of India's eastern neighbour.
Ananda runs Joler Gaan, a popular folk band in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital and largest city.
Attacks on Bangladeshi minorities, including Hindus, intensified on Tuesday, a day after the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government following month-long student-led anti-reservation protests, which turned into an anti-government movement as a result of the brutal crackdown by the now-fallen Awami League regime.
Sheikh Hasina, who was the country's longest-serving prime minister in her record fifth term, is currently in Delhi, having landed on Monday evening, and is likely to seek asylum in a European country.
Addressing the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said that the central government had received a request ‘at a very short notice’ from the ex-Bangladesh premier to come to India 'for the moment,' which was approved.
