Earlier this month on 5th August, as the violent protesters ousted democratically elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and forced her to take refugee in India for her safety, the Press Club of India reportedly removed the portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, popularly known as ‘Bangabandhu’ – father of Bangladesh.
It is pertinent to note that violent protesters had targeted and destroyed several Bangladeshi historical heritage sites in their bid to wipe out the legacy of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. They also desecrated the statue of Mujibur Rahman by climbing and urinating on it and damaging it with hammers.
While the Islamists, violent protesters and supporters of the Jihadi outfit, Jamaat-e-Islami carried out targeted attacks on sites or structures related with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, unknown ‘journalist/staff’ in the Press Club of India located in India’s capital, New Delhi removed his portrait. It is pertinent to note that, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is accredited as the father of Bangladesh as he formed the ‘Mukti Bahini’, which fought alongside the Indian army to repel and fight back against the excesses of the Pakistani army and led to the liberation of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan).
However, the removal of his picture from the PCI office triggered an outrage on social media. Facing backlash for the act, his picture was reinstated at its original place.
Subhash Yadav on 5th of August, 7:10 PM took a picture inside the press Club of India building, where the portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been removed.
According to the information received, Subhash S Yadav took a photo on Monday when the picture was taken down. After he raised the issue on social media and drew everyone’s attention, the picture was reinstated to its original position 4 days later. As the picture was reinstated, he captured it again on Friday (August 9, 2024).
OpIndia spoke to some journalists associated with PCI who used strong words and confirmed that the picture was put up again after a lot of condemnation for removing the picture. He also learned that celebrations erupted in PCI after the violent protesters ousted Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh. The picture was removed during this celebration.
On the condition of anonymity, a journalist told OpIndia that Sheikh Hasina had been nurturing snakes in the ‘Press Club of India’ who had bitten her as soon as they got a chance.
OpIndia’s sources in PCI also told us that they held biryani parties courtesy Sheikh Hasina. The cook used to come from Bangladesh to make biryani. However, as soon as they got a chance, they removed the picture of her father. They expressed their anger and said that the leftists in the Press Club do not belong to anyone. It is claimed that PCI does not even have pictures of the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for India’s independence. They also give a platform to leftist leaders and activists.
