Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the victory of the BJP-led NDA in the Bihar polls was a mandate against infiltrators in the country because citizens will never favour those parties that support such illegal immigrants.
Shah said some political parties are opposing the ongoing SIR (special intensive revision) of the Election Commission as they want to make sure that names of infiltrators remain on the electoral rolls. He described the SIR as “purification” of voters' list.
He was addressing the BSF Diamond Jubilee (61st Raising Day) celebrations in Bhuj, in Gujarat’s Kutch district.
“Today, the BSF (Border Security Force) is engaged in preventing infiltration at all borders of the country. Stopping infiltration is not only essential for national security but also to protect the democratic system of the country from being polluted,” he said.
However, some political parties are trying to weaken the government’s anti-infiltration campaign, he said.
The Opposition, including the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, where assembly elections will be held next year, has objected to the SIR, claiming that it threatens to disenfranchise lakhs of voters.
“They are opposing the ongoing SIR and the voter list purification process being carried out by the Election Commission. I want to make it clear that we will deport every single infiltrator from this country. This is our resolve,” asserted Shah.
“Who will be the chief minister of any state in the country, or who will be the prime minister, is a decision that can only be made by the citizens of India. Infiltrators do not have the right to pollute our democratic system and influence our democratic decisions,” said the Home minister.
Stressing that SIR is a process to secure and purify India’s democracy, he said every citizen should fully support it.
“I also want to warn those political parties which are engaged in protecting these infiltrators. The Bihar election was the mandate of the people of the country. And that mandate is against the presence of infiltrators in our country,” said Shah.
In the recently concluded Bihar assembly elections, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) decimated the Mahagathbandhan, an alliance of Congress, RJD and other parties, winning over 200 seats in the 243-member House.
“Those parties working to secure infiltrators’ place in the voter list should know that the people of the country will never support such intentions,” said Shah.
SC seeks EC's response on SIR
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider a new set of petitions challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in multiple states, including Kerala and Uttar Pradesh.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, SVN Bhatti and Joymalya Bagchi issued notices to the ECI on all the newly filed petitions submitted by various political leaders. These petitions question the legality and timing of the SIR exercise on different grounds across states.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for one of the petitioners from Kerala, argued that the matter requires urgent attention as local body elections are approaching in the state. The timing of the SIR process, he contended, could potentially impact the conduct of these elections.
Taking note of the concerns, the bench scheduled the Kerala-related petitions for hearing on November 26. Petitions concerning the electoral roll revision in other states will be heard in the first or second week of December, the bench said.
India will be free from the Naxal by March
During BSF’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Shah praised its role in Naxal-affected areas.
He said thanks to the joint efforts of all security forces, India will be free from the Naxal menace very soon.
“We are determined to free the country from the Naxal problem forever by March 31, 2026, and pave the way for the development of our tribal brothers and sisters. The entire corridor from Tirupati to Pashupati will be safe and will progress like the rest of India. In Chhattisgarh, the BSF has forced 127 Maoists to surrender, arrested 73, and neutralised 22,” said Shah.
He said not just Prime Minister Narendra Modi but the entire nation salutes the bravery and exemplary courage of BSF jawans. The Home minister told the audience that so far, 2,013 brave soldiers of the BSF have made the supreme sacrifice while securing the country’s borders.
On the occasion, Shah said the BSF now has 193 battalions and a strength of over 2.76 lakh jawans. The force is currently guards and monitors over 2,289 km of the border with Pakistan and over 4,095 km of the border with Bangladesh, he said.
Shah said the coming year will be dedicated to the welfare of the force’s personnel and their families.
“The BSF and the Home Department will take various initiatives for the welfare of the personnel and their families. Additionally, the coming year will be dedicated to modernising the force, with a target of transforming it into the world’s most modern and most capable border security force within five years,” he said.
“In the coming days, we are also introducing a new concept called e-border security. We have completed the trial phase. I am happy to announce that the BSF has played a major role in implementing the e-border security concept, and the initiative was also taken by it,” he said.
Shah also praised BSF’s role during Operation Sindoor, launched by India’s armed forces to avenge the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
“During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan took our attack on terrorists as an attack on them, and when the Pakistani army came into action, our BSF soldiers left no stone unturned in giving them a befitting reply,” said Shah.
“Due to the efforts of the BSF and the Army, Pakistan announced a unilateral truce, and because of this, it became clear to the entire world that India’s border should not be violated. Otherwise, they will have to face the consequences,” he added.