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Describing the brutal killings of Border Security Force soldiers on the Indo-Bangladesh border as 'criminal adventurism', India on Monday asked Bangladesh to act against the perpetrators of the crime.
Defence Minister Jaswant Singh informed the Lok Sabha that India had conveyed its deep sense of hurt at the treatment of Border Security Force jawans by Bangladesh Rifles personnel and lodged a strong protest with the Bangladesh government at the inhuman treatment of the BSF personnel.
"The Bangladesh prime minister has expressed regret and said her government would fully investigate the issue," he said.
He said the Centre was awaiting the report of the Bangladesh government on the issue.
He informed the members that 'shocking marks of injury and mutilation' and evidence of eight of them having been shot at point blank range were found. Singh said that the matter had been taken up both through BSF and diplomatic channels.
Stressing that 'strong ties of friendship exist between the two countries', Singh said, "Acts of criminal adventurism should not be permitted to affect these ties," Singh told the Lok Sabha.
Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi said the Congress condemned the treatment meted out to the BSF jawans. "I join the defence minister in condoling with the families of the deceased BSF jawans."
She said that while her party accorded great importance to Indo-Bangla ties but at the same time, Sonia said, "I earnesly hope that Bangladesh government will constitute an inquiry and bring the culprits to book for their heinous crime."
Describing the issue as a 'national matter', Sonia asked the government to look into all aspects of the incident, including intelligence failure, and get to the bottom of the incident.
PTI adds Soon after the Defence Minister Jaswant Singh made a statement on the killings of BSF soldiers on the Indo-Bangladesh border after the Question Hour, Congress and RJD members stormed the well shouting 'We want JPC'.
Some Samajwadi Party members were also seen in the well but they were on a different issue concerning farmers.
After his repeated pleas for restoration of order in the House failed to make any impact, Deputy Speaker P M Sayeed adjourned the House for the day.
The House heard in rapt attention the statement of Jaswant Singh as also the Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh yadav, RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, TDP leader K Yerrannaidu, Shiv Sena member Mohan Rawale and CPI (M) member Subodh Roy.
The entire Rajya Sabha also strongly condemned the ghastly killing of BSF personnel on the Indo-Bangla border and Opposition parties in particular charged that intelligence failure lead to such gory incidents.
Seeking clarification on a statement made by Defence Minister Jaswant Singh on the incident, Leader of the Opposition Manmohan Singh demanded an impartial inquiry into the 'totally unwarranted and improper intrusion of Bangladesh Rifles' into Indian territory.
Manmohan Singh wanted know if there were any security lapses that led to the incident. 'What was more worrisome is the intelligence failure' which needed to be probed, he said.
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