Mamata accusing BSF of allowing infiltration insult to forces: BJP's Suvendu

Kolkata: Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, wrote a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, criticising her for the allegation that the Border Security Force (BSF) was allowing infiltration from Bangladesh, and said such a comment was an insult to security forces.

He also accused Banerjee of indulging in "substandard" politics to appease her vote bank.

Claiming that the administration in BJP-ruled Assam worked with security agencies to stop illegal immigration, Adhikari alleged that the West Bengal government was making infiltrators a vote bank.

He emphasised that blaming the Border Security Force (BSF) for infiltration in West Bengal is "an insult to the 75,000 personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and 33,000 BSF personnel in Bengal".

"Allegations and counter-allegations indeed occur in politics. But dragging security forces into it, insulting them and passing the buck for your failures to them is nothing but substandard politics," Adhikari wrote in the letter to Banerjee.

Banerjee had on Thursday accused the Border Security Force of allowing infiltration from Bangladesh and alleged that they were doing so as part of a central government's "blueprint to destabilise" the state, a charge the BSF denied, asserting that it diligently guards the country's boundary.

Adhikari pointed out that India's borders, spanning over 15,106.7 kilometres, are protected by security personnel who risk their lives in adverse geographical conditions.

He also questioned the role of the state administration over alleged settlement of infiltrators in villages and asked why the state government opposed the need to strengthen the BSF's jurisdiction.

The BJP leader blamed the West Bengal government for "non-cooperation with BSF on border-related subjects".

The leader of the opposition alleged that the West Bengal government was "opposing the settlement of persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries" but was "welcoming infiltrators".

On addressing the issue of influx of illegal immigrants, Adhikari claimed, "The administrative machinery in Assam sided with the security agencies, while on the other hand, the West Bengal administration worked towards making the infiltrators the vote bank."

The BJP leader highlighted the Centre's efforts to strengthen security along the country's boundary, including the completion of 591 kilometres of border fencing, the installation of floodlights and the construction of border outposts and observation towers.

Adhikari also alleged that the state government's lack of support was hindering the construction of fencing intended to prevent infiltration along the India-Bangladesh border.

He also claimed that the process of acquiring land to build 284 kilometres of fence is "pending" at the state level.

"Out of 133 land acquisition cases, three are pending because of the state government's cabinet, and 10 are pending due to the lack of revenue records," he said in the January 4 letter.

Despite the release of Rs 217 crore by the Centre, only 31 per cent of the land has been transferred to the Border Security Force, Adhikari claimed.

The BJP leader appealed to Banerjee "not to sacrifice the art, culture and demography of West Bengal for the greed of vote banks".