TMC hits back at Amit Shah over infiltration remarks, says border security BSF’s responsibility

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday strongly reacted to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s accusation that the West Bengal government was encouraging infiltration, asserting that border security is the responsibility of the BSF, which operates under the central government.

Shah, who was on a two-day Bengal visit, alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led government was not cooperating with the Centre in stopping illegal immigration from Bangladesh.

Senior TMC leader and state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said, “It is the sole responsibility of the BSF to stop cross-border infiltration. The TMC is not guarding the borders — that is the job of the BSF, which functions under the Union Home Ministry. If there is any issue, this should be resolved by the Centre. The state administration should not be blamed for border issues."

Bhattacharya added, “If someone accuses the TMC of permitting infiltration, I will point out that it is the BSF’s responsibility to stop the menace. The home minister himself must ensure that the country's border is secured.” During a rally in Bengal on Sunday, Shah alleged that the state had turned into a centre of infiltration, corruption and lawlessness under Banerjee's rule.

He also accused the state government of deliberately withholding land needed for border fencing.

Reacting to this, Bhattacharya said, “The state has not blocked fencing. Land acquisition is a procedural matter and should not be politicised.” TMC MP Sagarika Ghose also condemned Shah’s remarks, stating that the Union home minister was behaving more like a BJP functionary than a constitutional authority.

“At a time when the All India Trinamool Congress is standing firmly with the Government of India, and when our national general secretary is abroad on an MPs’ delegation, speaking strongly for the Government of India and against Pakistan-based terrorism, none other than the home minister comes to Bengal and acts like a BJP worker and uses cheap language against our respected CM, Mamata Banerjee,” Ghose said.

The fact is that "Amit Shah's politics is all about divide and rule", she added.

In a sharp counter to Shah on social media platform X, the TMC posted, "HM @AmitShah, elections are conducted under the supervision of Central Forces, deployed by the union govt, not the state. Are you admitting that free and fair elections aren’t possible even under your watch? Don’t pass the buck, violence during elections is a failure of the Centre, not the state!” Shah also alleged that political violence in Bengal continued unchecked, saying, “Without the use of violence, even Mamata Didi would lose her deposits in the elections.”