Ujjain, Dec 27 (NationPress) Spiritual leaders in Ujjain have issued a dire warning regarding the Indian Premier League (IPL), threatening to sabotage cricket matches by damaging pitches if Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman is permitted to play. This ultimatum arises from escalating frustration over recent violent incidents targeting Hindus in Bangladesh, particularly two horrific lynchings linked to blasphemy accusations.

The seers, including Mahavir Nath, the chief priest of the Rinmukteshwar Mahadev Temple in Ujjain, expressed to the media that ascetic warriors will invade stadiums to halt matches featuring the Bangladeshi athlete. They accuse officials of neglecting the ongoing "persecution" of Hindus in Bangladesh while allowing its cricketers access to Indian grounds. Other seer organizations have echoed this sentiment.

The controversy escalated following the acquisition of Mustafizur Rahman by the Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 9.20 crore, making him the only Bangladeshi player selected in the recent IPL auction. Social media campaigns have emerged, calling for a boycott of KKR, branding the move as a "slap in the face of every Hindu" amidst reports of violence against minorities.

The violent incidents in Bangladesh have further stoked outrage. On December 18, in Bhaluka Upazila, Mymensingh district, a 27-year-old Hindu garment worker, Dipu Chandra Das, was accused by Muslim colleagues of making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad during a World Arabic Language Day event.

He was forcibly removed from his job at Pioneer Knit Composite Factory, brutally beaten by a mob, hanged from a tree, and his body was subsequently burned beside a highway.

Investigations revealed no substantial evidence of blasphemy, prompting the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) to apprehend several suspects. The interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, condemned the incident but described it as isolated, amidst wider unrest following the death of a notable youth leader.

Just days later, on December 24, another Hindu man, 29-year-old Amrit Mondal (also known as Samrat or Amit Mondal), was lynched in Rajbari's Pangsha sub-district over extortion allegations. Villagers attacked him, and although police intervened and rescued him in critical condition, he later died in the hospital.

Dhirendra Shastri, the spiritual leader of Bageshwar Dham, during a recent visit to Raipur, condemned these attacks as "unfortunate" and warned that without government intervention, Hindus in Bangladesh could face extinction.

He called for the deportation of Bangladeshi infiltrators in India and demanded robust measures to safeguard minorities abroad, stating, "If Hindus there are not secure, they should be granted refuge here." These developments have strained India-Bangladesh relations, with India expressing serious concern over documented violence against minorities. Hindu nationalist groups in India have organized protests, while Bangladeshi authorities have made arrests in these cases.