PM Modi talks tough with Yunus over northeast remarks: 'Any rhetoric that vitiates…'

PM Modi met Bangladesh Interim Government's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC meeting in Thailand. PM Modi underlined in his meeting that any rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided, which is seen as India's response to Yunus' remarks on northeast states.

In what can be seen as India's response to Bangladesh's Muhammad Yunus' remarks on northeast states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his meeting with the Chief Advisor, underlined that any rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided. He also emphasised that strict enforcement of the law and prevention of illegal border crossing, especially at night, is necessary for maintaining border stability and security, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.

Yunus' remaks on northeast states stoke controversy

Last week, during his China visit, Yunus urged Beijing to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh. He also made a controversial statement, mentioning that India’s northeastern states being landlocked could prove to be an opportunity.

“It’s very important that we see China as our good friend,” Yunus said, projecting Beijing as a balancing factor against New Delhi. He expects bilateral relations to enter a new stage, Yunus told Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency in an interview.

Yunus' remarks drew reactions from India

Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s economy advisory council, posted the video on X and questioned why Yunus mentioned India’s northeastern region.

“Interesting that Yunus is making a public appeal to the Chinese on the basis that 7 states in India are landlocked. China is welcome to invest in Bangladesh, but what exactly is the significance of 7 Indian states being landlocked?” he said.