The leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, on Monday said the BJP had been in touch with the family of BSF jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw and the Union government to ensure his release from Pakistani custody as soon as possible.
The Nandigram MLA’s comment came a day after chief minister Mamata Banerjee spoke to Rajni Shaw, the pregnant wife of the BSF jawan, assuring her of the government’s efforts to secure her husband’s release from the custody of the
adversary country.
“The chief minister woke up quite late. We have been in touch with the family since day one of Shaw’s detention in Pakistani custody. Our former MP Arjun Singh and several MLAs reached out to the family and extended support to them,” Adhikari told a news conference in Calcutta.
Shaw, 37, a resident of Rishra in Hooghly and a head constable with the 182nd battalion, “inadvertently” crossed the border near Firozpur on April 23 and was taken into custody by the Pakistan Rangers.
Despite multiple meetings before Operation Sindoor, the jawan was not released, leaving his family in Bengal in distress. His three-month pregnant wife, Rajni Shaw, travelled to Pathankot to request BSF officers to help secure her husband’s release. However, her visit could not help in the release of Purnam from the Pakistani custody.
“I spoke to the director general of the BSF today (on Monday). He assured me that the jawan is safe in Pakistan and that the government is doing its best to secure his early release,” added the Nandigram MLA.
The chief minister spoke to Rajni on Sunday and assured her of all possible assistance from her government. TMC’s Serampore MP Kalyan Banerjee also spoke multiple times to the BSF DG, requesting an escalation of the process for Purnam’s release.
Several leaders from different political parties visited Rajni’s home in Rishra to express solidarity with the family.
However, Rajni said she had not received any positive update from BSF officials
so far.
“I thank everyone who is standing with me. But I just want to see my husband back home. It has already been 20 days, and there is still no news about his whereabouts,”
said Rajni.