Siliguri (West Bengal) [India], December 27 (ANI): Bangia Hindu Mahamancha on Thursday protested against the atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh in West Bengal's Siliguri.

Bangia Hindu Mahamancha President Bikramaditya Mandal said if Hindus are not protected in Bangladesh, we will not let the Bangladeshi officials stay peacefully here.

'We are protesting the way Hindus are being lynched in Bangladesh. We have already shut down visa office. If Hindus are not protected in Bangladesh, we will not let the Bangladeshi officials stay peacefully here as well. We will not torture them, but we will not let them work and will make sure they go back to their country...,' he said.

The lynching of two Hindu Bangladeshis sparked a massive political row in India, with protests erupting in West Bengal and Assam demanding accountability from the neighbouring country's government.

Multiple organisations, mostly pro-Hindu activists in saffron-clad clothes, dominated the streets of Kolkata on Friday, demanding that the atrocities being committed against minorities, especially Hindus, be stopped.

Meanwhile, India reaffirmed its support for free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections in Bangladesh, as political developments unfold in the neighbouring country following the return of BNP leader Tarique Rahman to Dhaka after 17 years and the ban on Sheikh Hasina's Awami League, the country's oldest and largest political party.

Addressing the issue at the weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal outlined New Delhi's broader approach towards Bangladesh, stressing the importance India attaches to its relationship with the Bangladeshi people.

'India wants close and friendly relations with the people of Bangladesh, which are rooted in the liberation struggle and strengthened through various development and people-to-people initiatives,' Jaiswal said. (ANI)