Indian citizens are being pushed into Bangladesh: Mamata Banerjee

At a meeting with local officials in Cooch Behar, West Bengal, on Monday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “Indian citizens are being pushed into Bangladesh. I will tell the state police do not be afraid. Be a little more active. There must be a stronger focus on naka (checkpost) operations.”
 

Accusing the authorities of harassing residents, Mamata Banerjee said, “Cooch Behar is a border district. Law and order must be maintained along the border. Any excesses will not be tolerated. Just because someone speaks Bengali does not mean they are Bangladeshi. Bangladesh is a country, and West Bengal is a state.”
 

Mamata added, “Many people in Uttar Pradesh speak Urdu. Pakistanis also speak Urdu. There is a Punjab in Pakistan, and there is a Punjab in India. People on both sides speak Punjabi. But Bengali-speaking residents here are being harassed.”
 

Before leaving for North Bengal, Mamata in Kolkata sharply criticized the BJP for referring to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay as “Bankimda” during a Lok Sabha discussion on Vande Mataram. She said, “You say whatever you want. Earlier they announced in the Rajya Sabha that ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ would not be allowed. I heard they do not like Netaji, Gandhiji, or Rammohan Roy. Do you know the country's history? Do they (the BJP) know about Bengal’s contributions?”
 

At the meeting with officials in Cooch Behar, Mamata said that no agency from any other state can arrest anyone in West Bengal without following due procedure.
 

The Chief Minister said, “If someone’s name is mentioned as an accused in a case, then it should be investigated. A few people from Assam were served notices under the Foreigners Act.”
 

Mamata further said that police patrolling had decreased. “Earlier, a police van would patrol an area three or four times. Now that is no longer seen. This is not right. Patrolling must continue day and night.”
 

She requested all departments to cooperate with Booth Level Officers (BLOs) during the Summary Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list and instructed district administrators to ensure names are included correctly.
 

The West Bengal Chief Minister said, “Many names are not being included properly. Some people have married outside Bengal. Migrant workers also face problems.”
 

Mamata advised residents to carry necessary documents when they are called for SIR hearings.
 

The Chief Minister added that 41 people, including 3 BLOs, have already died in the state. People also died during the SIR processes in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Kerala. Earlier, SIR used to be completed in two years. Now it is being finished within two months. How is that possible? They (the BJP) are doing whatever they want.”