Indian MP’s Critical Remark on Bangladesh: ‘It Is Time to Make Noakhali, Chattogram and Sylhet Part of India’
Nishikant Dubey, a leader of India’s ruling and hardline Hindutva party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and a Member of Parliament for the Godda Lok Sabha constituency, has made a controversial claim stating that the time has come for India to reclaim or re-demand Noakhali, Sylhet, and the Chattogram port in Bangladesh, alongside Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PoK).
He accused India’s first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, of losing these regions because of his historic policy failures. The BJP MP made these remarks recently while speaking at an event in India. His comments have triggered intense reactions in diplomatic circles and various quarters, including Bangladesh.
In his speech, Mr. Dubey claimed that Noakhali, Sylhet, and the Chattogram port were originally parts of the erstwhile Tipra Kingdom, or Tripura. He alleged that during the partition in 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru compromised with the Muslim League for political self-interest, resulting in the loss of these regions. He further stated that, despite strong objections from Tripura’s royal family at the time, the Nehru government imposed decisions on these regions and organized a referendum in Sylhet.
According to analysts, such provocative and irresponsible remarks by Indian extremist and ultra-nationalist leaders can create unnecessary tension in bilateral relations between the two countries. Although a section of India’s hardline politicians has previously used similar impractical and provocative slogans about an undivided India, this remark has sparked renewed discussion in the current political context.
Source: India Today.
