New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction for the protection of Hindus in Bangladesh from violence targeted at minority communities. The matter came up before a bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar.
The bench was hearing a plea filed by Rajesh Dhanda, the Chairman of Bhagwan Jagannath Rath Yatra Mahotsav Committee, Ludhiana, who is also the Vice Chairman of the ISKCON Mandir Steering Board.
At the beginning of the hearing, the bench said it is not keen to entertain the petition. The bench said it cannot interfere in the issues of foreign affairs and internal developments of the neighbouring country. "How can this court comment upon the affairs of another country? It would be so odd if this court interferes with another country, that too a neighbour….," the bench observed.
The counsel, representing the petitioner, agreed to withdraw the petition. "Mr. Mukul Rohatgi, senior counsel, appearing for the petitioner, seeks permission to withdraw the present writ petition and states that the petitioner may approach the government. Recording the aforesaid, the writ petition is dismissed as withdrawn," said the bench, in its order.
The plea had sought an extension of the deadline for submitting applications for seeking citizenship to Bangladesh-fled Hindus, and also a direction to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to provide aid and assistance to Hindu minorities in Bangladesh through the high commission.
