• Suvendu Adhikari visits the BSF’s 74th Battalion camp in Hingalganj.
• Chief Minister calls for stronger coordination between the BSF and state police.
• Adhikari claims a search operation is underway along a 15-kilometre border stretch.
• TMC leader Kunal Ghosh questions the Centre’s role and cites Tripura.

GG News Bureau
HINGALGANJ, 9th Nov: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday spent most of the day at a Border Security Force (BSF) camp along the India-Bangladesh border, vowing strict action against alleged infiltrators and calling for stronger coordination between the BSF and state police.

Adhikari visited the 74th Battalion camp in Hingalganj, following the example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who traditionally spends Diwali with security personnel. Later, he inaugurated Kali Puja celebrations at the Hingalganj police station.

The Chief Minister arrived at a temporary helipad on the grounds of Hingalganj College before travelling by road to the BSF camp. He also took a BSF speedboat along the Icchamati River.

After inaugurating the Kali Puja, Adhikari held a brief meeting with police and administrative officials, stressing the need for coordination between the BSF and the state police.

“There is no place for infiltrators in West Bengal. Security will be made foolproof,” he said, adding that he had personally inspected a floating border outpost and surveyed the area using binoculars.

Adhikari alleged that people were waiting for opportunities to cross the border when BSF personnel were temporarily out of sight. He claimed that the BSF and police had already driven out several hundred thousand infiltrators.

“You have nothing to worry about. We will not let a single infiltrator remain; we will hunt them all down,” he said.

The Chief Minister also said a search operation was underway across a 15-kilometre stretch along the border. He claimed that the authorities had identified figures related to the alleged infiltration and would take steps to trace those involved.

The remarks drew a response from Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh, who said the BSF operates under the Central Government and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

Ghosh argued that decisions concerning border fencing and related security measures rested with the Centre. He pointed out that the BJP has been in power at the Centre since 2014 and questioned why alleged infiltration and the entry of Rohingya refugees were also being reported in Tripura, which has a BJP government.

“How are illegal infiltrations and the entry of Rohingyas taking place in Tripura, given that there is a BJP government there? So, whose failure is this? Is it fair to blame only West Bengal?” Ghosh asked.

He also said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had consistently shown respect towards BSF personnel, describing them as “our boys”.

The exchange has brought border security, alleged infiltration and the responsibilities of the Centre and state governments into the political spotlight.