‘Indians being pushed into Bangladesh’: Mamata warns against BSF ‘high-handedness’

Referring to alleged harassment of residents, Banerjee said, “Cooch Behar is a border district. Law and order must be maintained at the border. No high-handedness will be tolerated. One is not a Bangladeshi if they speak Bengali. Bangladesh is a country and West Bengal is a state. Many people in Uttar Pradesh speak Urdu. Pakistanis also speak Urdu. There is a Punjab in Pakistan also. So is there a Punjab in India. Residents on both sides speak Punjabi. Residents of Bengal are being harassed.”

Earlier in Kolkata, before leaving for North Bengal, Banerjee criticised the BJP over a reference to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay as “Bankimada” in Parliament during a discussion on Vande Mataram. She said, “Whatever you think, you do. Even earlier, it was announced in the Rajya Sabha that ‘Jai Hind’, ‘Vande Mataram’ will not go on. I heard yesterday they do not like Netaji, Gandhiji, Rammohan! Do you know the history of the country? Do they (BJP) know the contribution of Bengal?”

At the meeting in Cooch Behar, CM Banerjee said no agency from another state can arrest anyone in West Bengal without following procedure. “If anyone is named as accused (in a case), it should be investigated. Some people from Assam were sent notices under foreign laws,” she said.

She added that patrolling on police vans had reduced. “Earlier, a police van used to patrol an area three or four times. Can’t see this now. It’s not right. Patrolling should be done at night and day.”

Banerjee urged all departments to cooperate with booth level officers (BLOs) during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and instructed the district magistrates to ensure proper inclusion of names. “Many names are not being included properly. Many people are married outside (Bengal). There are also issues faced by migrant workers,” she said.

She advised the residents to carry necessary documents when called for SIR hearings.

“Already 41 people, including three BLOs, have died in the state. People also died during the SIR in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Kerala as well. Earlier the SIR was completed in two years. Now it is being completed within two months. How can it be possible? They (BJP) are doing whatever they want,” she said.