Kolkata, May 12 -- Extending his greetings to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at the beginning of his second term, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari praised Assam's governance model and wished him success for the tenure ahead.
Soon after, the Bengal Chief Minister shifted focus to what he described as the "Assam model" of tackling infiltration, signalling that similar measures could now be adopted in West Bengal.
The BJP has repeatedly alleged that during the rule of the Trinamool Congress, illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators managed to establish a presence in several border districts of Bengal. The issue of infiltration also featured prominently during the recent Assembly election campaign, with BJP leaders projecting border security and citizenship verification as key political priorities.
Speaking during his Assam visit, Suvendu claimed that the measures implemented in Assam and Tripura had effectively addressed infiltration concerns and asserted that Bengal would now follow the same path.
"Whatever work has been done in Assam and Tripura for the interest of the nation will be completed in Bengal as well under a BJP government. Union Home minister Amit Shah has repeatedly said in meetings that after the BJP came to power, the infiltration problem in Assam and Tripura was brought under control," Suvendu said.
He further alleged that earlier Bengal had an "appeasement-driven government", which, according to him, even failed to provide land to the Border Security Force for strengthening border infrastructure. "Questions were raised over national security. Assam has shown how infiltration can be tackled and how the Bangladesh border can be secured. The same steps will be implemented in Bengal as well," he added.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.