Centre responsible for infiltration, not Mamata: Congress slams Amit Shah’s remark on Bangladesh border issue

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday hit back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his recent comments accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of facilitating infiltration from Bangladesh with senior party leader Rashid Alvi underlining that securing national borders is the responsibility of the Central government, not the state.

During his two-day visit to West Bengal, Amit Shah, while addressing the Vijay Sankalp Karyakarta Sammelan, alleged that Mamata Banerjee had allowed unchecked infiltration for political gain.

“Mamata Banerjee has opened the nation’s borders for Bangladeshis. She is allowing infiltration. Only a Lotus government can stop this,” he claimed. He further accused Banerjee of refusing to provide land for fencing at the border, suggesting she was doing so to maintain her vote bank and pave the way for her nephew to succeed her as Chief Minister.

Responding to Amit Shah’s statements, Rashid Alvi told IANS: “Is Mamata Banerjee responsible for guarding India’s borders, or is that the duty of the Indian government? Who is in charge of border security? If people are entering India illegally, the blame lies with the Central government, not Mamata. She doesn’t control border patrols – (PM) Modi’s government does.”

Addressing the government’s recent claims after Operation Sindoor, which reportedly led to the deportation of 2,000 Bangladeshis, Alvi said the figure was insignificant in comparison to the overall scale of the issue.

“If lakhs of people have entered from Myanmar and Bangladesh as claimed, sending back just 2,000 is meaningless. The Supreme Court has clearly stated that India is not a dharamshala where anyone can enter and settle. All those who have entered illegally must be sent back. Even the US deports illegal immigrants, though often in handcuffs – we should do it respectfully.”

On being asked about Congress MPs like Shashi Tharoor and Salman Khurshid, who praised the Modi government during recent international delegations, he said: “Those who are part of official delegations represent India, not any party. But if any Congress leader praises the BJP at the cost of the Congress, action must be taken. These actions weaken the party. As the saying goes, the house is set on fire by its own lamp. Some of our leaders are destroying Congress from within. And BJP doesn’t respect those who switch parties – most of them are sidelined after joining.”

Commenting specifically on Khurshid’s praise of the PM Modi government’s handling of Article 370, Alvi said: “I strongly disagree with him. He may have joined the delegation to clarify India’s stand to the world, but his statements suggest he is endorsing the BJP’s policies. Since the removal of Article 370, terrorism has risen in Kashmir. Pulwama happened. Pahalgam has turned into a hotspot. We even had to conduct strikes inside Pakistan. What development has taken place since the abrogation? How many five-star hotels or factories have been built? Development hasn’t improved, nor has the situation on the ground. If Article 370 had to be removed, it should have been done with the confidence and participation of the Kashmiri people – not by jailing them.”

Asked whether the Congress should take disciplinary action against such leaders, Alvi said: “That’s for the Congress high command to decide. I don’t agree with their statements, but I’m not personally demanding action. If their remarks go against the party’s policies, appropriate decisions should be made.”

On Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s criticism of Prime Minister Modi’s speeches after Operation Sindoor, Alvi said: “Sindoor runs in PM Modi’s veins? That’s an unfortunate choice of words. At a time when the entire country stood united behind him, he chose to extract political mileage from it. PM Modi should avoid such rhetoric. Whether it’s PM Modi or Amit Shah, both are trying to gain politically from military actions. They’re misleading the country.”

On Rahul Gandhi’s query about aircraft losses during the operation, Alvi said the government must come clean.

“Every citizen has the right to know. If aircraft were lost or soldiers died, the public deserves transparency. Even the Army chief has given details to agencies. Why is the government hiding it? We missed the opportunity to hold Pakistan accountable. PM Modi had claimed we’d kill terrorists in their homes – then why is Masood Azhar still alive? A few airstrikes don’t change anything; we must eliminate the root of terrorism.”

On the arrest of influencer and law student Sharmishta Panoli, who was sent to 14 days’ judicial custody over a controversial video allegedly hurting religious sentiments, Alvi said: “Over the last 11 years, the BJP and RSS have created an atmosphere targeting Islam. India has always respected all religions. Remember the international backlash over a BJP spokesperson’s remark. In this context, action against those inciting communal disharmony is justified.”

IANS