Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday (January 31) accused the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of failing to secure West Bengal’s borders, asserting that the state had become a gateway for infiltration, threatening not just Bengal but the security of the entire country.
Speaking at a public meeting in Barrackpore, Shah said that bringing the BJP to power in West Bengal was essential for national security, not merely a political change in the state.
Shah claimed that infiltration through Bengal’s international borders had reached alarming levels and alleged that the state administration had consistently obstructed efforts to complete barbed-wire fencing. He rejected Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s argument that the Centre was responsible for border vulnerabilities, stating that the real obstacle was the state government’s refusal to provide land required for fencing work.
“Even after the High Court ruled in favour of the Border Security Force, land has not been handed over. How can fencing be completed?” Shah asked, alleging deliberate administrative non-cooperation. He claimed that this delay had allowed infiltrators to enter the state freely, with state machinery allegedly facilitating the creation of fake identity documents under political pressure.
Escalating his attack, Shah alleged that infiltrators had been turned into a “vote bank” by the ruling party. “Once a BJP government is formed by the end of April, land acquisition will be completed immediately and border fencing will be finished within 45 days,” he declared, promising firm action to secure the frontier.
The Union Home Minister also addressed concerns of the Matua community, accusing the TMC government of intimidation and asserting that BJP leader Shantanu Thakur and the Central government stood firmly with them.
“There is no need to be afraid,” Shah told community members, assuring them of legal protection and political support.
Referring to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Shah said that despite the Chief Minister’s opposition, the process would be carried out strictly in accordance with constitutional provisions and established rules. He accused the TMC of resisting lawful procedures for political convenience.
Sharpening his rhetoric ahead of the elections, Shah said that West Bengal needed not just a change of government but a complete uprooting of the existing regime. “This government must be removed roots and all,” he said, adding that the BJP would work to realise the vision of a ‘Sonar Bangla’ as imagined by Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
Expressing confidence in the BJP’s electoral prospects, Shah predicted that the party would secure over 50 per cent vote share and form a strong majority government. He reiterated that a government which, in his words, provided shelter to infiltrators could not survive the people’s mandate.
Continuing his criticism of the ruling party, Shah accused the TMC of opposing discussions on “Vande Mataram” in Parliament as part of vote-bank politics, calling such opposition an attack on Bengal’s cultural and national identity.
Earlier, the Union Home Minister paid tribute to workers who lost their lives in a fire at a warehouse in Anandapur near Kolkata, alleging that the incident was not accidental but a result of corruption under the TMC administration. He concluded his address by urging supporters to raise their hands and chant slogans in support of a BJP government, asking the crowd whether they were ready to vote out the current dispensation and usher in what he described as a secure and rebuilt West Bengal.
