BJP workers staged a protest in Kolkata on Saturday, demanding that a private hospital cease providing medical treatment to non-Hindu patients from Bangladesh. The protest, organized by the ‘Salute Tiranga’ group, took place in the Mukundpur area and called for action against the treatment of minority Hindus in Bangladesh.
The protestors submitted a memorandum to the hospital, stating that “the country comes first” and expressing concern over the alleged torture and killings of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. The memorandum also urged that no medical care should be provided to non-Hindu Bangladeshi citizens in light of the ongoing violence.
“We are deeply pained by the persecution of our Hindu brothers and sisters in Bangladesh. This violence must end, as the nation always comes first,” said Narayan Chatterjee, a member of the protest group.
The ‘Salute Tiranga’ group vowed to extend their protests to other private hospitals, having already taken similar action at another medical facility.
Earlier this month, a 141-bed hospital in Kolkata declared it would no longer admit Bangladeshi patients, citing the disrespect shown to the Indian national flag during recent turmoil in Bangladesh. Another hospital made a similar announcement, protesting the desecration of India’s national flag in the neighboring country.
This protest follows a broader trend in Kolkata, where Bangladesh stalls were notably absent at major events such as the Kolkata International Book Fair, the Bidhannagar Mela Utsav, and the 30th International Film Festival due to visa issues. Additionally, a Bengali literary festival at Visva-Bharati University saw no participation from Bangladesh after several of its poets and writers were reportedly denied visas amid rising political tensions between India and Bangladesh.
