Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday visited a Border Security Force (BSF) camp along the India-Bangladesh border in Hingalganj, emphasising the need for stronger security measures and declaring that illegal infiltration would not be tolerated in the state.
Taking inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tradition of celebrating Diwali with security personnel, Adhikari spent much of Sunday with BSF personnel at the 74th Battalion camp in Hingalganj. He later inaugurated Kali Puja celebrations at the Hingalganj police station.
The Chief Minister arrived at a temporary helipad on the grounds of Hingalganj College before travelling to the BSF camp. During his visit, he also took a speedboat ride along the Icchamati River to inspect the border area.
After inaugurating the Kali Puja, Adhikari held a meeting with police and administrative officials, highlighting the importance of coordination between the BSF and state police in preventing infiltration.
He asserted that West Bengal would not provide shelter to illegal entrants and warned that security arrangements along the border would be strengthened. Referring to his inspection of a floating border outpost, he claimed that suspected infiltrators were waiting for opportunities to cross into India when security personnel were not immediately present.
Adhikari further claimed that coordinated operations by the BSF and police had already resulted in hundreds of thousands of infiltrators being driven out. He also revealed that search operations were underway along a 15-kilometre stretch of the border to identify suspected illegal entrants.
The Chief Minister’s remarks triggered a response from the Trinamool Congress. Party leader Kunal Ghosh questioned the BJP’s attempt to place responsibility for infiltration entirely on the West Bengal government.
Ghosh pointed out that the BSF operates under the Union Home Ministry and that decisions concerning border fencing fall under the Central Government’s responsibility.
He also questioned how infiltration and the entry of Rohingya refugees continued in Tripura despite the BJP being in power there since 2014. Ghosh maintained that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had always respected BSF personnel and acknowledged their role in protecting the country’s borders.
