The threat of detention and deportation has triggered a fresh wave of fear and, in some cases, desperation, among many Muslim families whose names were deleted from the electoral rolls.
Many of them said on Thursday that despite having all documents, their names were deleted from the rolls, and there was no guarantee that the same documents would be accepted to legitimise them when the government searches for illegal immigrants.
On Wednesday, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari declared his government would start detecting illegal Bangladeshis, detaining them and handing them over to the BSF to be deported.
“The Indian government had sent an order on May 14, 2025, asking the Bengal government to identify Bangladeshi immigrants and hand them over to the BSF for deportation. But the previous government did not act,” Suvendu said at an event in Nabanna to hand over land to fence the Bangladesh border. “We will implement the order from today, arresting all such illegal immigrants and handing them over to the BSF….”
According to the chief minister, immigrants who had crossed over to India before December 31, 2024, and were eligible to apply for citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, would not be arrested. Muslims are outside the purview of the Act.
Metro spoke to Muslims whose names were deleted from the electoral rolls about how they feel. None of them is being named.
House help
From southern fringes of Calcutta
Age: 35
Her name did not figure on the rolls published on February 28.
“I was born in Calcutta and have no connection with Bangladesh. My ancestors are from Bengal. First, when my name was deleted, my concern was that I would be denied government benefits. But now, my fear is much deeper. Can I be thrown out of my own country?” she said.
She works for 12 hours at a house in Calcutta. “When my name was deleted, I went to a lot of people seeking help. I have submitted Form 6 (to enrol as a new voter), but nothing has happened. To get my name back, I was having to miss work for days, and I was afraid that I would lose my job. So, I gave up running around to get my name reinstated.”
“Now, I am desperate. My children are in school, and I have to look after them. I travel by train every day to work for 12 hours. I don’t have the time or energy to think what will happen,” she said.
Publishing editor
From Hooghly
Age: 61
He possesses certificates, tracing back his roots more than 300 years.
“I gave all the documents. My name was still deleted. There is no guarantee it will not happen again. I am as Indian as anyone. My neighbours know that. But these documents have failed to prove my Indian-ness once before. There is no assurance of their success this time,” he said.
“I never imagined that words like detect, detain and deport would become part of the everyday conversation in Bengal,” said the man.
“I have appealed to the tribunal but am yet toreceive a notice on a hearing,” he said.
His ancestral house is at Jangipara in Serampore. He was a voter in Jangiparauntil he shifted to Konnagar in 2002. Since then, he hasvoted in Konnagar, which is part of the Uttarpara Assembly seat.
His wife and son were also flagged for logical discrepancies, and all three were summoned for hearings. His son, who has a passport, was cleared. But the man and his wife were placed under adjudication.
Eventually, only the man was deleted from the rolls.
Physiotherapist
From Entally
Age: 32
The woman is now speaking to a lawyer about how to get her name back on the rolls. Otherwise, she fears “serious trouble”.
Her name was under adjudication, but it did not figure in the supplementary lists that were published.
“I have my passport, Aadhaar and PAN cards as well as property documents. I was born in my house in Calcutta, where my father was born too. I was a voter since 2016 and have no connection with Bangladesh,” she said.
“The BLO had confused me by asking me to wait. Now, I cannot appeal to the tribunal. I am consulting a lawyer on what could be done,” she said.
Recently, she bought aflat in Calcutta.
“My husband and family are here. I have my marriage certificate too. But those did not help when I submitted the documents for the hearing. Now, if there is a census, will they consider those documents?” she asked.
Salesperson
Murshidabad
Age: 32
A single mother in Murshidabad, she vowed to fight to get her name restored.
“Why wouldn’t I? It is my right to vote in my country. The government can do whatever it wants with illegal infiltrators, from Bangladesh, Pakistan or any other place. But why target us? We may be poor, but we are Indians,” said the woman who lives in Bhagabangola and works at a retail chain’s outlet inBehrampore.
She travels by train between home and work. She has a 14-year-old son. Her husband passed away six years ago.
The woman has four siblings — three sisters and a brother. All of them were mapped to the same father, and all of them received hearing notices. Only the woman and her eldest sister were deleted.
“I have filed an online appeal with the tribunal. But I have not received anycommunication from them,” she said.
From Wednesday evening, “deportation” and “detention camp” have been the topic of discussion in almost every village in Murshidabad, including the one in which the woman lives with her son. Murshidabad is a border district which recorded the highest number of deletions in the state.