Tracking Persecution of Minorities in Pak, B'desh

India closely tracks the persecution of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and Pakistan, the latter a neighbour with a "fanatical, bigoted mindset", external affairs minister S Jaishankar said in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

- HT Correspondent

Much of the foreign minister's criticism was directed at Pakistan, where he said 10 cases of atrocities against the Hindu minority were reported in February alone. In Bangladesh, he said, there were 72 instances of attacks on minorities in 2025. Jaishankar made the remarks while responding to supplementary questions from lawmakers during Question Hour.

India tracks the treatment of minorities in Pakistan "very closely" and has taken up this issue at international forums such as UN agencies but New Delhi cannot change the "fanatical" mindset of the neighbouring country, he said.

Providing details of the 10 cases of atrocities against Hindus in Pakistan in February, Jaishankar said seven of these related to abduction and forced conversion, two cases related to abduction, and one case was related to "police action" against students celebrating Holi.