Kolkata, Dec 30 (PTI) Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Monday accused the West Bengal government of deliberately hindering efforts to secure land for constructing BSF outposts and other vital infrastructure along the Bangladesh border, thus endangering national security.
Adhikari alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government’s non-cooperation was compromising national security by obstructing vital measures to prevent infiltration and cross-border crime, while prioritising vote-bank politics over the safety of both the state and the nation.
The TMC denied the charges as “baseless” and accused Adhikari of trying to politicise the issue.
Adhikari’s remarks came amid growing concerns about infiltration and transborder crimes in the state, particularly along the 2,216 km long India-Bangladesh border.
The BJP leader emphasised that the state government’s refusal to allocate land for the BSF is contributing to the rise of terrorist activities and infiltration from Bangladesh, which have been a key issue for security forces.
“The West Bengal government is obstructing the land acquisition process to build Border Outposts (BOPs) and fences to secure the border. While the central government is willing to bear all expenses, the state government is deliberately not providing the land,” Adhikari said at a press conference.
He added that this is being done “with an eye on appeasing a particular community to maintain the TMC’s vote bank”.
He also raised concerns about the delay in the construction of border fencing, saying that 569.254 km of the international border in the state still remains unsecured, with significant portions being vulnerable to infiltration and smuggling.
“The state government has not even cleared the land acquisition cases that have been approved by the central government. As a result, the BSF has been unable to build essential border infrastructure, including outposts and fences, in over 17 critical locations,” he said, adding that the delay has allowed illegal activities to thrive unchecked.
Adhikari also accused the state police of non-cooperation with the BSF in controlling cross-border crimes, particularly smuggling, cattle trafficking, and the movement of drugs like Phensedyl and Yaba tablets.
“The state police has failed to take necessary actions against transborder criminals. Many of these criminal elements are operating under the protection of the ruling party,” he claimed.
Reacting to the allegations, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed it baseless.
“The allegations against the state government are baseless. The state government has provided all possible help to the BSF and other central agencies. Adhikari is trying to pin blame on the state government to divert attention from the failures of the central government,” he said. PTI PNT MNB
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