KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that she would write to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the alleged involvement of the Border Security Force (BSF) in facilitating illegal infiltration from neighboring Bangladesh.
“The state police do not guard the borders, the BSF is responsible for that. At times, they are complicit in aiding such illegal infiltration, ” Banerjee stated.
She added, “Miscreants are crossing the borders illegally, entering the state, and killing innocent people. The state police director general, Rajeev Kumar, has gathered specific intelligence on this issue, along with additional information at the local level. Once I receive all the details, I will formally communicate with the Union government.”
According to Banerjee, the districts of Malda and Nadia, both sharing international borders with Bangladesh, are the primary entry points for illegal infiltrators. “I have repeatedly cautioned the Union government about this issue in the past. This time, I will be sending a more detailed report, ” she emphasized.
The BSF has not issued a response to the Chief Minister’s allegations so far.
Earlier, at a public event in Diamond Harbour, South 24 Parganas district, Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee expressed similar concerns. He accused the BSF of encouraging illegal infiltration to destabilize peace in West Bengal, leaving the state police to manage the infiltrators.
“They [BSF] are enabling illegal crossings, disrupting the peace in the state, and ultimately, the state police are the ones making arrests, ” Abhishek Banerjee said.
The Chief Minister’s comments come amidst sharp criticism from the opposition BJP. Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of promoting illegal infiltration to bolster its dedicated minority vote bank.