Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she was “appalled” by the situation in Bangladesh, reaffirming her position against persecution or discrimination based on religion, drawing parallels with the Narendra Modi government’s parti pris against Muslims in India — albeit without taking names.

The Bengal chief minister, on return from attending the swearing-in of INDIA ally and JMM chief Hemant Soren as chief minister of neighbouring Jharkhand in the evening, said: “We are sad. We are appalled. A lot of people died in the past, many are getting tortured now... in the student movement too, a lot of students died, and its impact is being felt even today.”

“None of us is endorsing the goings-on, any such incident, against any religion. We do not support it. But in this case, our role is very limited,” said Mamata at the Calcutta airport.

Hours earlier, Mamata had addressed the issue in the Assembly, saying she had spoken to the “Iskcon’s head here” twice, following the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari in Bangladesh.

The Trinamool Congress chairperson said it was finally up to the BJP-led Centre to engage with the Bangladesh government to take necessary action, before accusing the saffron regime in India of being prejudiced against the foremost minority community in this country.

“We don’t want any division in the name of religion and its impact on anybody at all. Those at our Centre take a very vindictive attitude towards a particular religion. We do not think even that is justified,” said Mamata.

“Mandirs, masjids, gurdwaras, girjas, all should coexist peacefully.”

The chief minister, however, reiterated her party’s support to the Centre in its external affairs policy decisions, including those on Bangladesh.

“Our party fully supports the Union government’s external affairs policies, irrespective of who is in power.... We denounce all attacks based on caste, creed, or community... against Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, or Christians. We believe in unity.... We love Bangladesh. Bangladesh, too, surely loves India, loves Bengal,” she said.

“We are not involved in any way by the Centre on such matters. Even the Teesta treaty was finalised without informing us. Political differences aside, we will never support religious discrimination or violence,” added the chief minister.

INDIA huddle

The Trinamool chairperson has said her parliamentary party’s decision to give the two latest INDIA meetings a miss was collective and she shares her opinion on matters when it is sought.

However, Mamata shared the stage with Rahul Gandhi in Ranchi during the oath-taking of Soren.

In Delhi, marshalled by her nephew and heir apparent Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool’s parliamentary party has been trying to chart its course this winter session in Parliament, distinct from that of the Congress and others in the anti-BJP bloc willing to toe its line.

In a meeting on Wednesday, the Diamond Harbour MP purportedly conveyed the wish of the supreme leadership against acting as “the Congress’s rubberstamp”, and not participating in the exercise of holding Parliament to ransom on the Adani bribery issue was part of that process.

Sources said it had been conveyed to the Congress that Trinamool was of the view that corruption allegations no longer decided voting preferences by most in India.