RANCHI: The BJP has urged the Hemant Soren-led government to immediately set up detention centres along the bordering districts of Jharkhand to identify and hold suspected “illegal infiltrators”.
BJP state spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo, while talking to the media persons at the party headquarters in Ranchi, alleged that districts like Pakur, Jamtara, Dumka and Sahibganj have been facing the issue of alleged illegal Bangladeshi infiltration for a long time.
Shahdeo further claimed that intensified action against infiltrators in neighbouring West Bengal could lead many of them to move towards Jharkhand. He also alleged that the state was gradually turning into a “safe haven” for illegal infiltrators due to what he described as the government’s “lenient stance” on the issue.
“West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has also clearly declared that detention centres will be established for illegal Muslim infiltrators. In light of this, the Jharkhand government, too, must take immediate action regarding this grave issue,” said the BJP spokesperson.
The state government should immediately establish detention centres in the bordering districts and launch a special drive to identify illegal infiltrators, he added.
He further said that in accordance with the relevant sections of the Indian Foreigners Act, the responsibility for identifying and verifying any suspected foreign national lies with the District Magistrate. Therefore, the state government should issue clear directives to all District Magistrates and conduct a comprehensive verification drive, he added.
Shahdeo emphasised that this is not merely a matter of law and order, but an extremely grave issue concerning Jharkhand's social fabric, local resources, employment and national security. The BJP will continue to relentlessly champion this cause, serving as the voice of the people, he said.
Shahdeo said that Jharkhand is becoming a “safe zone” for illegal infiltrators, as most of the neighbouring border states are governed by the BJP, where strict surveillance and action are currently being enforced.
He further noted that a comparison of census data between 1951 and 2011 clearly reveals that, over this 60-year period, the tribal population in the Santhal Pargana region declined by 16%, while the Muslim population increased by 14%.
“Given the influx of people fleeing West Bengal, there is a likelihood of a flood of illegal infiltrators entering these border districts due to the Hemant government's lackluster attitude. These infiltrators believe that, owing to the Hemant government's appeasement policies, they will receive political patronage within Jharkhand,” the BJP spokesperson said.