The interim government in Bangladesh lodged a formal protest note to India on Monday against Union home minister Amit Shah’s remarks calling its nationals as “infiltrators”, reported India Today.

Bangladesh’s ministry of foreign affairs registered a formal protest note to India’s deputy high commissioner in Dhaka. The note mentioned Amit Shah’s remarks as “highly deplorable”. It also expressed serious reservations saying it was “deeply hurt and extremely displeasured”.

“The Ministry conveyed its serious reservation, deep sense of hurt and extreme displeasure and called upon the Government of India to advise the political leaders to refrain from making such objectionable and unacceptable remarks,” the protest note said.

The Bangladesh government also urged India to caution its political leaders against making such “objectionable and unacceptable” statements, reported Dhaka Tribune.

“The ministry also emphasised that such remarks, coming from responsible positions against the nationals of a neighbouring country, undermine the spirit of mutual respect and understanding between two friendly countries,” it added.

What did Shah say in Jharkhand?

During an election campaign last week, Amit Shah claimed that the BJP “will hang every Bangladeshi infiltrator upside down to give them a lesson”, if people elect the party to power in Jharkhand, reported ANI. He also claimed that a change in government will “eliminate” every infiltrator from the region.

“Infiltrators are the vote bank of Lalu Yadav, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, and Rahul Baba’s Congress party. If you change the government, I promise that we will identify and throw out every single infiltrator from Jharkhand,” news agency ANI quoted Amit Shah as saying.

“In our state, the number of infiltrators is increasing in place of tribals. We have to stop this. Only the BJP can do this work,” Amit Shah added.