Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday renewed his attack on chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress over their alleged non-cooperation in stopping infiltration along the Bangladesh border, linking the issue to nationalism and internal security.
Citing a recent Calcutta High Court order directing the Bengal government to hand over land to the Border Security Force for border fencing by March 31, 2026, Shah claimed he was certain that Mamata would defy the directive and claimed that infiltrators formed Trinamool’s core vote bank.
Speaking at public meetings in Barrackpore and later in Bagdogra near Siliguri, Shah projected confidence about the BJP forming the government in Bengal this summer and asserted that the moment the BJP government came to power in Bengal, the required land for fencing would be handed over within 45 days, putting a permanent stop to infiltration.
“Infiltration is not just a problem of Bengal. It has become a threat to the security of the entire country. Yet Mamata Banerjee will not act even as per the court’s order,” Shah said, accusing the state government of deliberately obstructing fencing work along the Bangladesh border by not arranging land.
Infiltration has long remained a sore point between the BJP-led Centre and the Trinamool government in Bengal. For the BJP, it has emerged as the main poll plank, with repeated allegations that large-scale illegal migration altered the demographic balance in border areas of the state and posed security challenges. The party has accused the state government of failing to provide land for barbed-wire fencing along unfenced stretches and of not adequately securing porous riverine and hilly terrains. Trinamool, on the other hand, has blamed the Centre for lapses in guarding the border on the zero line.
Calcutta High Court’s Friday order added fresh momentum to the BJP’s campaign. The court directed the Bengal government to hand over land parcels earmarked and paid for by the Union government across nine border districts to the BSF by March 31 for completion of barbed-wire fencing.
The order followed a PIL filed by former Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Subrata Saha (Retired), who warned of a “grave threat” to national security due to unfenced stretches of the international border. Saha, executive chairperson of the Manekshaw Centre for National Security Studies and Research, cited official parliamentary data pointing to infiltration in thousands and widespread trafficking of narcotics, cattle, gold and fake currency between 2016 and 2025.
Armed with the court’s observations, Shah sharpened his political attack while repeating his claim that the Trinamool government would still resist the implementation of fences.
“Brothers, be sure that Mamata Didi is not going to give the land even after the high court order. But do not worry, her time is nearing its end. By the end of April, the BJP-led Bengal government's chief minister will hand over all land to the BSF within 45 days. I am saying this today — not only will infiltration stop, but every single infiltrator will be identified and sent back from Bengal,” Shah said.
The presence of infiltrators, Shah claimed, was why Trinamool has been opposing the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bengal.
He accused Mamata of shifting blame to the Union home ministry while failing to fulfil the state’s responsibility. “Mamata Banerjee is not giving us land, and as a result the fencing work could not be completed so far. Infiltrators are sneaking in through riverine and hilly areas, while her police are not stopping them and are helping infiltrators settle in our country with forged and fake documents. I raised this issue in Parliament, but Trinamool members protested against my speech,” Shah said.
Shah again asserted that Hindu migrants from Bangladesh, including members of the Matua community, need not fear the loss of voting rights.
Linking infiltration with nationalism, Shah accused Trinamool of opposing “Vande Mataram” in Parliament to appease what he described as its infiltrator vote bank.