Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari's announcement that the "delete, detect and deport" mechanism would be implemented in Bengal prompted the Trinamool Congress to say on Wednesday that it would examine whether any inhuman decision would be taken in haste during the drive.

The CPM and the Congress have also issued stern warnings against the BJP government.

"Those who are not covered under the CAA are completely infiltrators. The state police will directly arrest and detain them and hand them over to the BSF. The BSF, after coordinating with the BDR, will arrange for their deportation. Which means: detect, delete, and now deport," said the chief minister.

"This law comes into effect from today. The DGP and the home secretary have been informed accordingly. In the interest of the country and in the interest of West Bengal, we implemented this from today in all bordering police stations of the state," he added.

During the election campaign, then chief minister Mamata Banerjee had repeatedly protested against the BJP's infiltrator narrative and vowed to protect the constitutional rights of the people.

After Suvendu's announcement on Wednesday, several Trinamool MLAs, including a senior leader, declined to comment when they were asked what their role would be during such a drive.

However, Trinamool spokesperson and Beleghata MLA Kunal Ghosh said: "We will examine the drive to ensure that no inhuman decision is taken in haste."

Ghosh also said if the BSF deported infiltrators, then the force should take responsibility for the intrusion through the international border also.

CPM central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said the BJP and the chief minister should remember that this was Bengal. "The chief minister is echoing what the Union home minister has said. The people of Bengal have already faced a lot of harassment and atrocities. This is Bengal, and any kind of further atrocity will be strongly resisted by the people of the state," said Chakraborty.

The Congress said the BJP had launched an agenda to create panic among the people of Bengal, just as it had done in other states.

"This is the same strategy that the BJP adopted in other states where it rules. They had assured people that there would be no environment of fear and that trust would return once they came to power. However, they have adopted their hidden policy of creating panic in Bengal, too," said Congress spokesman Soumya Aich Roy.

"They are in power in 20 states other than Bengal. I will request them to show the data on the infiltrators they have deported. Their policy of implementing fear will be exposed once they come up with the statistics of deportation," he added.

MLAs absent

Only 34 of Trinamool's 80 MLAs were present at a protest programme on the Assembly premises on Wednesday, prompting questions on the party's immediate future and speculation on the possibility of defections.

The protest was against the BJP government's "bulldozer raj" and alleged targeting of Trinamool's rank and file in "post-poll violence".

A Trinamool MLA in south Bengal said: “At least a dozen MLAs are in touch with other parties, but not all 46 who were not present at the protest.... Things are very uncertain now.”

The large-scale absence came a day after three prominent Trinamool MLAs directly raised uncomfortable questions before Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, at a meeting at her residence.

On Wednesday evening, Abhishek met the trio — Beleghata MLA Kunal Ghosh, Uluberia Purba MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, and Entally MLA Sandipan Saha — and heard them out. Abhishek urged them to submit all their grievances in writing so that the leadership could address them.

Seniors in the party have, however, said this is “too little, too late”.

Additional reporting by Meghdeep Bhattacharyya