New Delhi, Feb 3 (UNI) Days after union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the West Bengal government of obstructing border fencing, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday mounted a strong counter-offensive, asserting that securing the international border was the Centre’s responsibility.
She accused the BJP of spreading “misinformation” and targeting voters in the state.
Speaking on the infiltration issue, Banerjee questioned the role of central agencies in guarding the border.
“The BSF is deployed at the border. Who is responsible for stopping infiltrators? Who controls the border?” she asked.
Pointing out that Assam and Tripura also share borders with Bangladesh, the chief minister said “Why is Bengal being selectively targeted?”
Banerjee alleged that the BJP was spreading confusion by showing visuals from Bangladesh and portraying them as scenes from West Bengal.
“You have money for publicity, but not for farmers or women,” she said, accusing the party of prioritising propaganda over welfare.
She also alleged that the BJP was attempting to influence elections by bringing voters from outside the state.
“They are bringing voters from Ghaziabad and snatching away the voting rights of Bengal’s people,” Banerjee claimed.
She said minorities and the Matua community were being targeted, warning against attempts to disenfranchise them.
“There are 33 per cent minorities in Bengal. This is not from today. It is from the time of Independence. Do you want me to throw them out of the country?” she asked.
Strongly criticising what she described as the branding of Bengali-speaking people as “Bangladeshis,” Banerjee said, “If someone speaks Bengali, they are being called Bangladeshi. After Partition, Pakistan was formed, then Bangladesh. Still, Bengalis from West Bengal are being labelled Bangladeshis. How can you insult Bengal?”
She reiterated that while Bengal shared an international border, sanitising and securing it was the responsibility of the central government.
On border fencing, Banerjee rejected allegations of non-cooperation, stating that the state had provided land to central forces, including the BSF, SSB and CRPF.
“We have given land to the BSF, but the centre has increased the jurisdiction of the BSF’s jurisdiction from 15 km to 50 km and the force is coming inside the villages and torturing the people,” the chief minister said.
Her remarks came after Amit Shah, addressing a rally in West Bengal on Friday, accused the Trinamool Congress government of blocking fencing along the India-Bangladesh border.
Shah alleged that the state was not providing land for fencing, allowing infiltration to continue, and claimed fake documents were being created to enable infiltrators to move freely across the country.
Citing a Calcutta High Court observation, Shah said the court had directed the state government to provide land to the BSF by March 31, 2026, and termed the government “lackadaisical” on the issue. He alleged that infiltration had become the TMC’s “vote bank”.
Shah also promised that if the BJP came to power, border fencing would be completed within 45 days and infiltration would be stopped. Defending the SIR process, he accused Banerjee of threatening the Matua community and asserted that “no one can touch the Matuas”.
The exchange underlined the intensifying political battle in West Bengal, with the BJP foregrounding border security and nationalism, while the TMC accused the Centre of failure on infiltration and attempts to undermine voter rights.
