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Indian-origin Congressman Ro Khanna on Dipu Chandra Das's lynching in Bangladesh: ‘Vile act of hatred and bigotry’
The killing of Das by a mob in Bangladesh not only shocked people across the world but also strained ties between India and Bangladesh.
Indian-origin Congressman Ro Khanna on Sunday condemned the death of Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old Hindu man who was lynched in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh earlier this month during protests that erupted after student leader Osman Hadi’s death.
The Democrat leader called Das’s killing “horrific” and urged people to speak out against “vile acts of hatred and bigotry”.
The Hindu man’s death led to protests in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Agartala. Several Hindu organisations also held protests near Bangladeshi missions and demanded protection for minorities in the neighbouring country.
Congressman on Dipu Chandra Das’ death
In a post on X, Ro Khanna described the incident as “horrific” and called on people to condemn “these vile acts”.
He wrote, “The killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old Hindu garment worker in Bangladesh, is horrific and my thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family.”
“We must unequivocally condemn and speak out against these vile acts of hatred and bigotry,” he added.
Although the Indian-origin Congressman, who represents California’s 17th district, only condemned Das’ killing and described it as a “vile act of hatred and bigotry”, many of his followers and X users questioned its “relevance” and asked him to go back.
One user wrote, “Where in the United States is Bangladesh and why should I care?”
Another wrote, “This has nothing to do with your constituency or your country, unless your constituency isn’t actually in California and your country isn’t actually the United States.”
The death of Dipu Chandra Das
The killing of Das on December 18 by a mob in Bangladesh not only shocked people across the world but also strained ties between India and Bangladesh. The incident led to protests across India earlier this week.
The security situation in the neighbouring country, already fragile since the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, deteriorated further after the assassination of Osman Hadi, a prominent student leader.
Beyond protests, the issue also escalated at the diplomatic level, as both India and Bangladesh lodged formal protests and summoned each other’s envoys.
