The BJP on Sunday claimed that Indian citizens from West Bengal working in other states are losing their jobs because of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and, in some cases, Rohingyas. BJP’s state president Samik Bhattacharya said this at a press conference, adding that Indian Muslims and Hindus who came from Bangladesh due to persecution have nothing to fear as long as the BJP is in power.
He accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of being afraid that the Election Commission of India might identify fake voters if the special revision of electoral rolls is carried out in the state. “Just the talk of the revision is causing fear. Imagine what will happen when it actually begins,” Bhattacharya said.
He also said that illegal voters were already identified during a similar process in Bihar, and this should happen in Bengal too. According to him, one of the biggest problems Bengal is facing is “radicalisation” and the political situation in Bangladesh is also affecting border areas of West Bengal.
The BJP leader claimed that some banned organisations are becoming active again, with one district in north Bengal being especially affected. He said this is a serious risk to the country’s internal security.
Bhattacharya said that in response to alerts from the Centre, both BJP and non-BJP states are now verifying the identity of migrant workers from Bengal. “Some of the people caught during these checks have admitted they are from Bangladesh and have fake Indian documents,” he claimed.
He also defended the Delhi Police for taking action based on “Bangladeshi language,” saying there is a clear difference between Bengali spoken in West Bengal and in Bangladesh. This comment followed a letter, shared by the TMC on X (formerly Twitter), in which a Delhi Police officer had asked for a translator for the “Bangladeshi national language” after eight people suspected to be illegal immigrants were arrested.
Bhattacharya further accused the TMC of targeting BJP workers and said even TMC members are not safe due to internal conflicts. “Many victim families have asked for CBI investigations as they don’t trust the state police,” he said.
He admitted that the progress of ongoing CBI cases in the state has been slow. “We are not denying it. We are unhappy. We want the CBI to move faster,” Bhattacharya said.
Referring to TMC MP Kirti Azad, who was earlier with the BJP, Bhattacharya said Azad recently demanded a CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into illegal mining but then withdrew the demand. “The BJP DNA in him is still alive,” he said, adding that the party will take the issue seriously and its MPs will meet Union Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy on Monday.
Speaking on the rape and murder case of a female doctor from RG Kar Medical College last year, Bhattacharya said the victim’s parents met BJP leaders and expressed their wish to hold a protest on August 9. “We support them but will not make it a political event. Our workers may attend, but without party flags or statements,” he said.
The victim’s parents have gone to court demanding a deeper investigation, claiming others were involved. The CBI is already investigating a possible conspiracy in the case. Sanjay Roy, the accused, was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison by a Sealdah court.
