"If We Had Not Helped Her...": Shashi Tharoor On Sheikh Hasina In India

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor told NDTV that the developments in Bangladesh should not have a major impact on its ties with India

Praising the Centre for giving refuge to Sheikh Hasina after she was forced to resign as Bangladesh Prime Minister amid violent protests, Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor told NDTV that the power shift in the neighbouring country is not a cause for worry for India.

Asked about his views on how the developments in Bangladesh would impact its ties with India, Mr Tharoor said, "Our fundamental interest lies in close and friendly relations with Bangladesh, our basic commitment is to the well-being of Bangladesh people, the State comes second and any individual leader comes third."

"We are with the people of Bangladesh, we were with them in 1971, we have been with them through thick and thin, even when they had governments who were less than friendly to us, we have managed to keep our relationship on an even keel and certainly there should be no deterioration in that relationship in time to come," he added.

On the interim government headed by Nobel peace prize winner and Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus, he said it's no cause for anxiety for New Delhi. "I know Muhammad Yunus personally, he is a highly respected figure. I suppose he is somewhat close to Washington rather than being seen as close to Jamaat e Islami or Pakistani ISI. If you look at the overall composition of the interim government, there doesn't seem to be any particular reason for India to feel any anxiety about countries hostile to us having put their stamp on this interim government," he said.