Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government was committed to identifying and expelling every illegal infiltrator from the country, asserting that infiltration from across the Bangladesh border had already started declining in West Bengal.
Speaking at a public function in Sonipur village in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district, HM Shah said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal had taken swift action on border-related issues, including the creation of detention centres and land transfers for border fencing work.
“Our government’s resolve is to identify and expel every infiltrator from the country,” HM Shah said while addressing the gathering.
Referring to the situation in West Bengal, HM Shah claimed that infiltration was rampant during the tenure of the Trinamool Congress government.
“Earlier, under Mamata Banerjee's rule, infiltration took place every day, but now infiltrators are themselves starting to return,” he said.
HM Shah said the BJP government in Bengal had established detention centres but added that authorities preferred illegal entrants to leave voluntarily.
“Suvendu ji (Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari) and the BJP government in Bengal have built detention centres, but we all want those who entered illegally through infiltration to voluntarily return to where they came from,” he said.
The Union Home Minister further said that people leaving voluntarily would not face legal proceedings from the West Bengal government.
“If they leave voluntarily, the Bengal government will not file any case against them and will even assist them in leaving,” HM Shah said.
He also expressed hope that many people would leave before the launch of a formal identification drive.
“I hope that before the identification campaign begins, many people will leave on their own,” he added.
HM Shah’s remarks came during a programme where development projects worth Rs 340 crore were inaugurated and foundation stones laid in Gandhinagar district.
The Union Minister also used the occasion to highlight the BJP’s electoral gains and governance agenda across the country.
During his address, HM Shah said the BJP currently governed “80 per cent of the country’s geographical area” and described the recent political developments in West Bengal as a major achievement for the party.
HM Shah, however, maintained that the Centre’s approach was linked to national security and border management.
He said strengthening border fencing and identifying illegal infiltrators remained a priority for the PM Modi-led government.
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