Crimes against minorities: Hindu outfits in Shimla demand withdrawal of Nobel Prize to Bangaladesh's Yunus

Shimla: Various Hindu outfits on Thursday staged a demonstration in Shimla against the alleged "repression" and "genocide" of Hindus in Bangladesh, and demanded withdrawal of Nobel Peace Prize to Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government of the neighbouring country.

Joined by social organisations under the banner of 'Defenders of Human Rights' (DHR), the protesters expressed anger over the alleged atrocities on members of the Hindu community and their places of worship in Bangladesh, calling on its government to protect the rights of the minorities.

"Attacks on Hindus and their places of worship are continuing unabated ever since Muhammad Yunus took over as advisor on August 8. The Hindu community in Bangladesh, which supported the Mukti Vahini and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1971 when Bangladesh came into existence, is being unfairly targeted," DRH convenor Ajay Srivastava said.

"Unfortunately, a person with a 'jehadi' mentality has been made the advisor, and he is encouraging the destruction of Hindu and Buddhist temples in gross violation of human rights," Srivastava said, as he called Yunus the "mastermind" behind the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.

A case should be filed against Yunus in the International Court of Justice and the Nobel Prize committee should consider withdrawing the peace prize accorded to him in 2006, he added.