Suvendu Adhikari visits BSF camp along Bangladesh border, vows action against infiltrators

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday visited a Border Security Force (BSF) camp along the India-Bangladesh border in Hingalganj, where he vowed to strengthen security and take action against infiltrators.

Adhikari spent most of the day at the 74th Battalion camp. He travelled along the Icchamati River on a BSF speedboat and later inaugurated Kali Puja celebrations at the Hingalganj police station. He also held a meeting with police and administrative officials, stressing the need for coordination between the BSF and the police.

"Security will be made foolproof. I personally checked the final floating outpost - the one from which I used binoculars to scan the area - and there is nothing on the Bangladesh side. They are lying in wait, watching for the BSF to be momentarily out of sight so they can slip across," he said.

"Together, the BSF and the police have already driven out several hundred thousand infiltrators. You have nothing to worry about. We will not let a single infiltrator remain; we will hunt them all down. A search operation is in progress across a 15-kilometer stretch along the border. We will identify the infiltrators - I have the exact figures," he added.

Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh criticised the chief minister's remarks, pointing out that the BSF is under the control of the Union government and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"While it is one thing to criticise them or raise questions regarding policy matters, the issue of barbed-wire fencing along the border is a significant matter, and decisions regarding it should be taken by the Central Government," Ghosh said.

He also questioned the BJP's record on infiltration, citing cases in Tripura, which has a BJP government.

"How are illegal infiltrations and the entry of Rohingyas taking place in Tripura, given that there is a BJP government there? So, whose failure is this? Is it fair to blame only West Bengal? Infiltrators are being apprehended in Tripura as well," he said.

Ghosh added that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had always shown respect towards BSF personnel, saying, "after all, they are our boys".