New Delhi: India has rejected remarks made by Bangladeshi officials regarding recent violence in West Bengal and called on Dhaka to focus on protecting the rights of its own minorities instead of engaging in "virtue signalling."

"We reject the remarks made by the Bangladesh side with regard to the incidents in West Bengal," said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

Jaiswal described the comments as a "barely disguised and disingenuous attempt" to draw parallels between India's concerns over the ongoing persecution of minorities in Bangladesh and the situation in West Bengal.

"We reject the remarks made by the Bangladesh side with regard to the incidents in West Bengal. This is a barely disguised and disingenuous attempt to draw a parallel with India's concerns over the ongoing persecution of minorities in Bangladesh, where the criminal perpetrators of such acts continue to roam free. Instead of making unwarranted comments and indulging in virtue signalling, Bangladesh would do better to focus on protecting the rights of its own minorities," reads the statement.

The response came after Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to Bangladesh's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, called on New Delhi and the West Bengal government to ensure the protection of the Muslim minority following sectarian violence in parts of West Bengal, including Murshidabad. Alam condemned the attacks and urged the Indian government to take measures to safeguard the minority Muslim population.

The violence in West Bengal was sparked by protests from the Muslim community against the Waqf Amendment Act. This marks a continued downturn in India-Bangladesh relations, which had already been strained following the August 2024 anti-government protests in Bangladesh and the subsequent challenges faced by the interim government headed by Yunus, particularly concerning the safety of minorities, including Hindus.