Mamata hindered border security measures in West Bengal: Shah
Hammering home the point once again that India will not be safe until its borders are secure, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday slammed former Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for refusing not only to provide land for fencing the international border with Bangladesh but also for stonewalling the Centre’s initiatives to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act and the three new criminal laws — the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam — in the State.
“We repeatedly pleaded with Mamata Banerjee for land, but she didn’t budge. Once, I even went to her office and requested her to provide the land because it was a matter of national security.” But his pleas fell on deaf ears, Shah said during a programme in Siliguri in North Bengal. He added sarcastically, “However, her Government did not live on… it went, and so did Mamata ji,” while thanking CM Suvendu Adhikari for promptly handing over the requisite land.
Shah, who was on a three-day visit to West Bengal, inaugurated several projects and laid the foundation stones for others at the headquarters of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
Praising the Chief Minister, he said that as soon as Adhikari came to power, he cleared all the projects, and “we received the land we required to enhance our border security.” He added that, in the changed circumstances, the State’s approvals for projects came “even before formal letters were sent.” The new BJP Government had provided the requisite land to the BSF and SSB within 45 days of coming to power, the Home Minister said.
Praising the Chief Minister for his cooperation in fortifying the Siliguri Corridor — which connects the rest of India with the Northeast and is also known as the “Chicken’s Neck” because of its strategic importance — Shah said that the State Government had approved the allocation of 560 acres of land to reinforce the area.
“Today, we inaugurated projects worth Rs 179 crore focused on the SSB’s infrastructure and administrative needs. Whether it is the SSB, Assam Rifles or the BSF, forces that guard our borders are always the top priority of the Union Home Ministry,” Shah said, reminding how the Government had taken all measures to make the Siliguri Corridor impregnable with additional deployment of forces and conducting exercises like Teesta Prahar.
Praising the Adhikari Government for its sustained “effort to turn Bengal into a Sonar Bangla” once again, the Home Minister said, “Suvendu ji is doing a great job towards stopping infiltration and establishing rule of law in Bengal.” He said, “Today Bengal has come a long way from cadre raj of the Left to goonda raj of the Trinamool Congress to rule of law of BJP.”
The Home Minister also praised the Bengal Government for facilitating the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act. “Mamata ji blocked its passage in Bengal, but now the people of Bengal are realising the benefits of the Act … which is, however, not meant for the illegal infiltrators --- not mentioned in the CAA --- whom the Government is determined to find and deport,” Shah said.
He also praised the Adhikari Government for quick implementation of the three criminal laws in the State. “We brought BNS, BNSS and BSA replacing the colonial laws like IPC, CrPC and BSA… but despite these laws being in force in the rest of the country, the Mamata Banerjee Government stonewalled its implementation in Bengal… but today these laws have been officially implemented in the State,” he said.
Earlier, the Chief Minister too vouched for his intention to implement all the pro-people policies of the Centre. “When I became the Chief Minister, I cleared three files immediately: the one on clearance of land for border security, two files on conducting the census, which is in process and three on the implementation of the new laws BNS, BNSS and BSA,” he said.
