Infiltration from Bagladesh down, says Home Ministry amid BJP hyping issue in poll-bound WB

Feb 10, 2021

New Delhi: Indian Home ministry headed by Amit Shah on Wednesday admitted in Parliament that the ‘number of cross border infiltration reported from India-Bangladesh border had come down in 2020 as compared to 2016.

Minister of state Nityanada Rai stated this with detailed information in the Rajya Sabha. The ruling BJP is trying to make so-called ‘ illegal infiltration from Bangladesh’ one of the major poll planks in the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal.

West Bengal Trinamul Congress MP Dr Manas Bhunia had raised the question as to whether cross border infiltration has been increased over the past five years. Answering his question, the Minister in a written reply gave detail statistics on the issue which nailed the claimes of large number of of Bangladeshis crossing over to India. Recenetly in one of the poll surveys, only 2 percent of Bengal voter said infiltration was an issue for the Assembly poll. Major issues are unemployment malgovernance by the TMC government and deteriotating law and order.

According to the answer given by the Minister, since 2016 to 2020, the number of cross border infiltration has been reduced. In 2016, there were 624 cases of cross border infiltration only and the persons apprehended were 1601. In 2017 the number of cases recorded was reduced to 456 and the persons apprehended  the same year was 907. In 2018, 420 cases were recorded and 884 persons were apprehended.

In 2019, a total of 500 cases were reported, involving 1109 persons. But in 2020, only 489 cases were reported and 955 persons were apprehended.

In upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls, state BJP leadership is accusing the ruling Mamata Banerjee Government of allowing illegal cross over. For this reason Dr Bhunia wanted to know what steps had been taken by the Home ministry. Answering this question, the Minister admitted it was the lapse on part of BSF and “wherever a lapse on part of BSF personnel is found, disciplinary proceedings are intiated and action taken as per rules.”.

The answer given by the minister did not specify the reason for so-called infiltration.

Sources in the High Commission of Bangladesh said that there was an on going mechanism for repatriation of persons who crossed the border ‘illegally’. Some of persons did it inadvertantly or there was sometimes a family issue . India-Bangladesh land border has been closed in the wake of Corona pandemic since March 2020. There are certain cases where people across border were compelled to cross border without valid documents to meet their nearest relatives. Identity of these persons are known to both the border forces.

–India News Stream