Infiltration threat to Jharkhand; Mamata govt not providing land to secure Bangladesh border: Suvendu

Bokaro: Asserting that Bangladeshi infiltrators are a major concern for Jharkhand, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday accused Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal which shares a border with the neighbouring country, of not providing land to BSF for fencing work due to her "appeasement politics".

Adhikari, the leader of opposition in the West Bengal assembly, arrived in Jharkhand earlier in the day to take part in the BJP's 'Parivartan Yatra' in Dhanbad district.

"There are 72 places in West Bengal where the Mamata Banerjee government did not provide land to the Border Security Force (BSF) to complete fencing along the international boundary with Bangladesh. The Ministry of Home Affairs had urged Mamata Banerjee to provide land but she didn't give plots only for vote bank and appeasement politics," Adhikari told reporters in Bokaro.

He claimed that the Bangladeshi infiltrators were "entering West Bengal through the unfenced areas and their population rose to 35 per cent in the state".

"To protect Jharkhand and West Bengal from Bangladeshi infiltrators, the double engine government is required. The infiltrators are posing a big threat to Hindu society and tribals in Jharkhand," Adhikari said.

The term "double engine" is used by BJP leaders to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state.

Adhikari cautioned that if the I.N.D.I.A. bloc returns to power in Jharkhand, there would be a "threat to nationalism, Hindu culture, tribal and original inhabitants of the state".

He claimed that the people of Jharkhand would vote for the BJP for the development of the state.

"There are around 90 lakh Bengali-speaking people in Jharkhand and 90 per cent of them would cast their vote on the BJP's symbol of lotus," he said.

With an eye on the assembly elections due later this year, the opposition BJP in Jharkhand has been carrying out six 'Parivartan' processions since September 20 to reach out to the people and "expose the failures" of the JMM-led government in the state.

These marches will cover 5,400 km across 81 assembly segments in 24 districts before concluding on October 2.

Around 50 national and state-level leaders of the BJP, including chief ministers of several states, are expected to participate in such rallies.