(MENAFN- Live Mint) Amid demands to ban the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON ) in Bangladesh, the religious organisation distanced itself from the activities of monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested on sedition charges.
The Dhaka Tribune quoted ISKCON Bangladesh 's general secretary, Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari, as saying that Chinmoy was removed from all positions within the organisation long ago due to a breach of organisational discipline.
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During a press conference on Thursday, Charu Chandra Das said,“Several months ago, Leelaraj Gour Das, head of Prabartak Sri Krishna Mandir, Gaurang Das, and Chinmoy Krishna Das, head of Sri Sri Pundarik Dham in Chittagong, were removed from their positions and all organizational activities within Iskcon due to violations of discipline. It was clearly stated that their actions are not representative of ISKCON.”
Charu Chandra Das further criticised“ongoing attempts to wrongly associate Iskcon Bangladesh with the death of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif in Chittagong.”
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He said,“We want to make it clear that ISKCON Bangladesh has no involvement in this tragic event or the ongoing protests. This false narrative has even escalated to the point where road accidents are being attributed to Iskcon.”
He added,“Regrettably, certain groups are intentionally spreading misinformation about our organization and are making unjustified demands to ban Iskcon.”
Who is Chinmoy Krishna?
Chandan Kumar Dhar Prokash Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, popularly known as Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, was a spokesperson for the Sanatan Jagaran Mancha and a former leader of the ISKCON. He managed an ISKCON religious site called Pundarik Dham in Chittagong.
Chinmoy Krishna Das was detained by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday in a sedition case.
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The case, filed by Md Feroze Khan at Chittagong's Kotwali police station, accused Chinmoy Krishna and 18 others of hoisting a saffron flag above the Bangladesh national flag during a rally organised by the Hindu community under the banner“Sanatan Jagaran Mancha” on October 25 at New Market intersection in Chittagong.
The case alleges this act was“desecration” and“contempt for the country's sovereignty”, describing it as“treasonous activities aimed at destabilizing the nation by fostering an anarchic environment”.
Chinmoy Krishna's arrest led to protests and unrest in Bangladesh. A legal notice was also filed, demanding a ban on the ISCKON and the prosecution of those responsible for the murder of government legal officer Advocate Saiful Islam.
The Dhaka High Court, however, refused to ban ISKCON's activities in Bangladesh, a local newspaper reported days after a lawyer was killed in a clash between security personnel and supporters of Chinmoy Krishna Das.
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