Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, played the polarisation card on Monday in three public rallies in Malda and North Dinajpur, districts with at least 50 per cent Muslim population.

“Earlier, there were three districts in the state, Malda, Murshidabad and North Dinajpur, where the minority community was more than us. But now, they are the majority in nine districts of Bengal. The demography has changed. This is because of indiscriminate infiltration from Bangladesh. If the BJP is voted to power, we will deport them,” Adhikari said at a public meeting in Manikchak of Malda.

He referred to the April 1 incident where seven judicial officers were held hostage in Malda’s Mothabari.

“These infiltrators have grabbed land from Indians. As the state government has not provided land (for fences), hundreds of kilometres of the (India-Bangladesh) border are vacant (unfenced) and people are entering through these areas. The administration and the police are silent and not taking steps to nab these people because Mamata Banerjee banks on their support,” Adhikari alleged.

He addressed Kisan Jati community members in Malda which has been demanding Scheduled Tribe status for long.

“Before the 2016 Assembly polls, Mamata Banerjee promised that she would look into their demand, but did not keep her promise. Let me assert that once we form the government, their demand will be met,” Adhikari said.

In Malda, the Kisan Jati community resides across seven Assembly constituencies, including Manikchak, Baishnabnagar, Ratua and Mothabari. Of the around 2.60 lakh population, around 1.5 lakh are voters.

At a third meeting in Malda town, the district headquarters, Adhikari said that if the BJP came to power in Bengal, he would put in efforts to upgrade the Englishbazar municipality into a municipal corporation.

Earlier, while speaking at a public meeting in Hemtabad of the neighbouring North Dinajpur district, Adhikari tried to fan Rajbanshi sentiments by referring to the April 2023 death of Mrityunjoy Barman, a Rajbanshi youth, in police firing. “A minor Rajbanshi girl was raped and murdered. As he protested, he was gunned down by the police. We should not forget such atrocities. I urge you not to split your votes but cast them together for the BJP,” he said.

Additional reporting by our Raiganj and Malda correspondents