Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday expressed confidence that the BJP would win the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal and asserted that the party would “drive out every single infiltrator” from the state, which he described as among those “worst affected by demographic change”.
Shah was addressing a gathering in Araria district of Bihar, where he launched projects worth Rs 175 crore for the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and dedicated a couple of new border outposts to the nation.
“It is the top priority of the BJP government to drive out every single infiltrator from the country, who are not just a threat to national security, but also feed on welfare benefits meant for people, thereby diluting the impact schemes run by the government could make,” he said.
“Infiltration on a large scale also results in encroachments in bordering areas. We are committed to demolishing these. Infiltration also poses the threat of demographic change, which can wreak havoc with the culture, and even geography, of a region,” Shah said.
The minister stated that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to set up a high-powered committee to study and “undo demographic change” by identifying the most vulnerable areas.
“Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal are the states worst affected by demographic change. West Bengal goes to polls soon. We are confident that the BJP would win the elections. And, it is the top priority of every BJP government to drive out infiltrators,” he said.
The BJP, once a marginal force in West Bengal, has in the past decade expanded its presence and emerged as the principal challenger to the Trinamool Congress headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is seeking a fourth consecutive term.
Shah said the “beginning of crackdown on infiltrators” would be made in the Seemanchal region of Bihar, where he had stayed for four days during the Assembly elections held a few months ago. Thanking the people of the state for their mandate to the NDA, he said the BJP had contested the polls on the issue of infiltration despite criticism from opponents.
“Flushing out of infiltrators is as much a part of our agenda in Bihar as the welfare of people. I promise to the people of the state and the entire country that every single infiltrator would be driven out before we next approach them for a fresh mandate,” he said.
Highlighting the role of the SSB in checking infiltration, Shah noted that guarding borders is easier where fencing is in place and relations with neighbouring countries are friendly, but “a different approach is needed when we are dealing with porous borders”.
He urged senior officials of the SSB and other agencies to prepare a standard operating procedure for such areas and emphasised the importance of maintaining good relations with residents of border villages. Their feedback, he said, would help check smuggling and narcotics trade. He also called for cordial relations between Indian personnel and security forces deployed across the border.
The Centre, he added, remains committed to the welfare of security personnel and their families, citing schemes such as CAPF Awas Yojana and CAPF Ayushman health insurance, scholarships for dependents, and enhanced ex gratia for personnel who suffer disabilities in the line of duty.
Shah began his address by paying tributes to freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Sawarkar on his death anniversary, describing him as “not just a fearless patriot, but also a brilliant writer”. He said Sawarkar’s work helped people view the Revolt of 1857 as the country’s first war of Independence and noted his efforts against untouchability and in fostering nationalism.
(With inputs from PTI)