The Ministry of External Affairs has announced that there was a formal objection to Mamata Banerjee's comment on the present civil unrest in the neighboring country.
"This can be confirmed that we have received a diplomatic note from the Bangladeshi side that protested against the comments made by the chief minister of West Bengal," admitted MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal.
He further went on to add, "I would like to underline that under the Seventh Schedule, Union List I, Item No. 10 of our Constitution, the conduct of foreign affairs and all matters which bring the Union into relation with any foreign country are the sole prerogative of the Union government."
At the Martyrs' Day rally in Kolkata on July 21, Mamata Banerjee responded to the situation in Bangladesh by saying she was prepared to provide asylum to "helpless people" fleeing the violence across the border into West Bengal.
"There is a resolution of the United Nations that the neighbouring countries should show respect and accommodate the refugees coming from regions under turmoil," she had said.
The Sheikh Hasina-led government termed the comments of the West Bengal Chief Minister as "provocative" and "inaccurate" at a time when all efforts were being made to stabilize the situation in Bangladesh.
The MEA termed the continuing unrest in Bangladesh as an "internal matter" and thanked the "excellent cooperation" from the Bangladeshi government, due to which more than 6,700 Indian students have been brought back home so far.
“We are aware of the situation in the country. We have been closely following the developments there. India considers the ongoing situation in the country to be an internal matter of Bangladesh. With the support and cooperation of the Bangladesh government, we were able to arrange for the safe return of our students which we deeply appreciate. “We share warm and close ties and are hoping that the situation there will turn normal soon,” the MEA spokesperson said.
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