New Delhi

India on Saturday condemned the alleged abduction and killing of a Hindu minority leader in Bangladesh and called on the interim government in Dhaka to live up to its responsibility of protecting the minorities.

In a social media post, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the "brutal killing" of Bhabesh Chandra Roy follows a "pattern of systematic persecution" of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.

"We have noted with distress the abduction and brutal killing of Shri Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a Hindu minority leader in Bangladesh," he said.

"This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government even as the perpetrators of previous such events roam with impunity," Jaiswal said.

"We condemn this incident and once again remind the interim government to live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities, including Hindus, without inventing excuses or making distinctions," he added.

There has been a sharp downturn in India-Bangladesh relations after deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled Dhaka in August last year in the face of a massive anti-government protest.

READ MORE: Joy and emotions erupt as 238 men and women join J&K Police

The relations nosedived dramatically after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus failed to contain attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in that country.