Kolkata/IBNS, May 26 -- Large crowds of illegal Bangladeshi migrants gathered near border areas in West Bengal amid an ongoing crackdown on them by the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, media reports said.

Crowds were reportedly seen near border points in North 24 Parganas and Malda as authorities intensified action against undocumented migrants.

The development comes days after the administration led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari ordered the setting up of holding centres where illegal immigrants would be kept before being handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) for deportation procedures.

Adhikari defended the government's policy, saying the administration has adopted a "zero-tolerance" approach toward...