PATNA: Senior Congress leader and chairperson of the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs, Shashi Tharoor, on Saturday expressed deep concern over the prevailing “mob rule and instability” in Bangladesh, warning that the unrest could adversely affect both Bangladesh and India.

Speaking to media at Patna airport ahead of his participation in the five-day Nalanda Literature Festival, starting Sunday at Rajgir, Tharoor said that mob rule in Bangladesh was “not good either for Bangladesh or India.” He stressed that India’s interest is driven by a stable and democratic Bangladesh, and peace and democratic norms must be upheld. “Elections are also going to be held there in February, and we want democracy to return there, but the way the situation is going there is very concerning,” he said, adding, “Such a situation is not good for both countries; we want peace there.”

Tharoor also expressed concern over the mob lynching of 27-year-old Hindu man Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district over alleged blasphemy. He questioned the country’s interim government on what steps were being taken to hold perpetrators accountable and prevent such incidents in the future. “Such mob rule should not prevail. The Parliamentary Standing Committee has also said that we want good relations with Bangladesh, and peace should be maintained there,” he added.